Dirty Little Secrets
by StarvingLunatic
Summary: Everyone has secrets. Some deeper than others. Come take a sneak peek at some secrets. Various pairings. Series of one shots, some of which contain romance.
1. Thick as thieves

I don't own these characters.

A/N: Okay, I'm gonna try to make this clear without giving away the premise of this story. Don't read this if you're very much into the canon couples or think certain characters can do no wrong. If you read this and don't like it based on the pairings or what the characters do, you can complain to your heart's content, but I'm not going to argue with people over anything that happens in the tale. It's just a story, after all.

Dirty Little Secrets

1: Thick as thieves

Kim was vaguely aware of the fact that it was cold; it was freezing actually. One would have guessed that she would be more than vaguely aware since she was currently scaling a barren, snow-covered mountain, but the snarling nip in the air was far from her mind. She was mostly thinking of her objective, not the weather, not what she was leaving behind, and not the sting of guilt she should be experiencing, but had stopped feeling such an emotion a long time ago. Her objective drove her forward and kept her from thinking of the unpleasantness that she should be feeling, but was not.

The wind whipped through her red mane, keeping it from being in her face, which was good because it allowed her to focus ahead of her. She had a determined expression locked on her face as she moved on. She gripped the firm, grey rocks underneath her glove-covered hands and continued to pull herself upward toward heaven. She was headed for what seemed like a small dot in the distance, but she would be there soon enough. She was cautious in her ascent, but she was also rapid in her movements because she did not have the time to spare. She had a weekend and that was hardly enough time to visit the Garden of Eden in her opinion. Still, some time was better than none at all and it had been months since she had such time to make the trip. She could not make it up that damnable mountain fast enough in her opinion, but she did want to make sure that she made it up there.

The petite hero probably made it to the dot, which happened to be a quaint little cabin, in record time, but then again, she probably always made it in record time. She did not care about that. She was just ecstatic to finally be there and apparently the person waiting for her was too if the crushing embrace that Kim received when she entered the small shack had anything to say about it. The redhead did not even have a chance to feel the warmth of the cabin because she was engulfed in the body heat of the person waiting. She did not mind that in the slightest.

"I was starting to think you stood me up, Princess," Shego commented, purring into Kim's frosty neck as she spoke, warming the area with her breath and their contact.

"I didn't take that long," Kim replied in a low voice, just reveling in how close they were and the feel of Shego's warm breath against her cold skin.

"It's always long to me," the pale woman quipped coquettishly before taking a little nibble on Kim's tender, delicious neck since she was positioned there.

Kim only chuckled a bit, a very small sound, while pushing away from Shego because she wanted to get out of her freezing clothes before doing anything else. Kim planned to abandon the clothing where she stood once they were on the covered wooden floor. Shego looked at the redheaded hero for a second and noticed the slight-blue and bright red tint to her typically peach cheeks. She waited for Kim to be out of her coat before grabbing the hero up for another affectionate embrace. With the new hug, she cradled Kim to her and the redhead knew exactly what Shego was doing. The olive-eyed female relaxed into the loving embrace and let Shego's warmth take away the chill from outside while also easing the agonizing longing that she had been feeling for the past couple of months.

"I missed you so much," Kim muttered in the green-skinned woman's shoulder because her face was pressing into that area.

"You better miss me. Gives me some incentive to put up with this crap," Shego remarked in a playful tone. "Let's get you warmed up."

Kim nodded and they walked deeper into the little cabin, which was decorated in a very Spartan manner. There was no real furniture, except for the bed and a box that held firewood in it. There was a cooler in the corner against the thick walls that were built to keep out the mountain chill from the tiny house. The cooler held some drinks to last them through their time together. A plain brown paper bag sat on top of the cooler and it contained canned goods that could be cooked over an open fire, which was what the fireplace was for, among other things. The floor was wooden, but covered by a thick, black carpet.

The redhead sat down by the stone fireplace. She breathed a sigh of relief, even though she was still in her frosty gear for the most part. She did take off her gloves to quickly warm up her hands as she suspected those would be busy soon and she would like to have all of the feeling in her fingers. If she saw the glint in Shego's emerald eyes, she would have know that was a very correct assumption of hers, but the hero was focusing on the superb fire in front of her rather than the eager sublime creature behind her. She would pay that wonderful being some attention as soon as it was necessary, though.

There was a roaring fire already going, crackling and popping; wonderful sounds as far as the near Kim-sicle was concerned. Shego had prepared the fire when she was waiting for the younger woman and they could retreat into their own little, perfect fantasy world. A world where they were not always at each other's throats, even though Shego was not a villain anymore. She had gotten out of that game over a year ago, but she still maintained her badass attitude, even with Kim when their paths crossed outside. It was good that she did considering that Kim was almost always with Ron when they ran into each other. But, then again, if given enough time, she and Kim got along best through snide remarks and snappy comebacks. It was just the way they were and she liked things that way because it was fun to her. Kim felt the same, even though every now and then she did wish Shego was a little less confrontational about every little thing.

Shego went to the bed against the wall in the one-room cottage and picked up a thick plain, black quilt from the mattress. She sat down next to Kim and wrapped the blanket around both of them. The redhead leaned into Shego and sighed contently as soon as pleasing contact was made, the body contact and heat assuring her that she was there with the one person that she loved in the world romantically.

Shego looked down at Kim as she snuggled closer to her. She drank in everything about the younger hero for a moment. The perfect feel of the smaller body pressing against her for affection and warmth, both of which she would eagerly supply in intense waves, like a tsunami. The odd smell of Kim underneath the frigid cold; she gave off a fragrance of strawberries, which happened to be a favorite snack of Shego's too, which seemed a bit weird or ironic. She was not totally sure which it was and she did not care. She noted the heavy breathing coming from Kim as she began to heat up; soon that would end because her chill would have abandoned her, but for the moment, it worked as reminder that she was there and all for Shego. She was there totally for Shego.

Kim was more than aware of the hot body that she was pressing herself into and believed that it was the most heavenly place to be. If she were to die at that very moment, she would have gone with a very satisfied smile on her face. Life was all about the gentle touch of the woman beside her, the soft rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, and the emotions that Kim easily could see in those emerald eyes that tried their best to look like the gates of Hell, but she knew the truth. Those eyes were the road to paradise; she was known to get lost on that road if given the slightest chance and she knew that she planned to that weekend.

A weekend to themselves to be trapped in their own little wonderful world, they both thought with dreamy sighs. A weekend where neither of them had to worry about what the rest of the human population thought if they were seen together. A weekend that held no negative consequences. A weekend to express the deep love that they felt for each other. It was not enough time; it was never enough time. But, they would take it.

As Kim warmed up, she began to rub her cheek like an attention-starved cat into Shego's shoulder, which was where she was resting her head. The green-skinned woman knew the movement was as much a signal as it was to bestow her with some physical affection. She leaned down slowly and captured Kim's mouth in a tender, loving kiss; the younger woman probably would have purred like a content cat if she was not focusing all of her mind on how divine the sweet embrace felt. As they pulled away a mere centimeter to breath in the crisp air that smelled like kindled wood, they stared into each other's eyes and saw the yearning that remained there from their time apart.

"If only we could show the world…" Shego mumbled with some sorrow in her voice. She wished what was going on now could be their outside lives instead of the little weekend.

"If only," Kim concurred in the same tone along with deep, desired longing in her olive eyes. It would be the very definition of heaven if she could be in Shego's arms everyday, just feeling the plasma-wielder breathing against her.

No one could or would ever know what they had, though. It just was not feasible, not at the moment and it probably never would be, even though Shego was no longer a villain. There were just circumstances in their lives that would be in the way and some barriers nearly impossible to overcome, not that they would not try. They just could not try any major ones right now.

There was the fact that Shego now worked for Global Justice and she was not totally sure about their attitude toward homosexuals. She doubted that they could or would fire her over it, but they could possibly make her life more difficult than she required it to be at the moment due to her sexual orientation. Such a thing would not serve her purpose well because she would end up losing her temper with them and have all kinds of assault and battery charges tacked onto her already mile-long rap sheet. And if it was one thing that she did not need, it was the possible prison time such actions would lead to.

The super-powered female was trying to straighten up and fly right as best she could given her past actions and GJ had happened to have worked out since they knew what she was capable of. They were willing to pay her a good amount of money while cutting off a few years on a prison sentence that she had coming her way, and gave her the adrenaline fix that she needed in order to make it through life. On the other hand, she was pretty sure that she would be able to make it through life just fine if she could have her beloved angel with her every moment of the day. But, she knew that that was just not going to happen. Shego was not sure how the GJ administration would react to finding out that not only was she into girls, but Kim Possible nonetheless. She did not want to put up with them trying to get her to tempt Kim to join the payroll even after the redhead had already wisely turned down the law enforcement agency several times in the past. Kim was doing fine on her own and being weighed down with everything that came with being a GJ agent was not worthwhile to her. In Shego's "humble" opinion, Kim needed to do what was right with her own sense of justice, not some agency's command.

Shego was also trying her best to reconcile with her brothers. It was going about as smooth as sandpaper, but she was trying. She doubted that they would take it well to find out that she was a lesbian, especially considering how self-righteous Hego could get. And it did not help matters that their little brothers had the odd tendency to follow his example, even if they personally did not agree with him. If she ever did decide to tell them, she was counting on waiting at least a few years before springing her sexuality on them. Despite all of that, her reasons for keeping the relationship on the low paled just a bit compared to Kim's reasons for why they were locked away from prying eyes and might always be that way.

"You know, Princess, I can't believe the things I put up with from you," Shego remarked for no real reason other than she liked being a smartass while reveling in the redhead's presence and practically getting drunk just off of the feel of having Kim against her. She was already sitting with her eyes half-lidded, as if she was tired, but she was just intoxicated with being with the hero.

"It's because you love me," Kim replied with an impish smile on her face. The expression made the plasma-wielder's heart pound hard in her chest; the redhead appeared so adorable.

Shego could not argue that. It had to be the reason that she put up with Kim; the same could be said with why Kim put up with her and she recognized that. She leaned in for another kiss, which was soul-searing and reminded them both why they continued to carry on as they did. The reality was that they needed each other; they craved each other. Every part of their bodies and souls cried out for the other and they had to respond to those desperate pleas or else they would not be able to go on and would whither away like stones in a desert, slowly yet painfully.

"I don't know why, but every time I see you, it's like Christmas morning," Kim commented as they pulled apart for air again. It was the truth. Every time that she saw the raven-haired woman, there was a rush of joyous anticipation that shot through her like being struck by lightning and she could feel it burning brightly on all of her nerve-endings.

"Then unwrap your present already," Shego urged the younger female with a devilish smile on her face. The redhead thought that the smile was an expression an archangel might make.

Kim did not waste anytime going in to take off the black sleeveless t-shirt that Shego was wearing. The fire had done the minimum of chasing her chill away, but Kim knew that the flame of their love and passion would be enough to heat her up and Shego would definitely keep her warm. She eased the piece of cloth off of the green-skinned woman as if she was carefully peeling a banana, a very sexy banana. As soon as Shego was free of her top, she reached for Kim's shirt, which had to be unbuttoned. Shego was not known to stop for buttons when they were in the cabin and was not about to start being known for it now. She simply tore the shirt from Kim; the redhead already knew that whatever she wore up there was going to be ruined before an hour even passed. No outfit survived the first hour for Kim and she never minded; she just wanted to feel Shego and be with Shego.

They leaned in for another scorching kiss that put the fire before them to shame and made much desired skin contact. As their flesh touched, it was like two fires joined together to make one large inferno, making them burn for each other even more. They fought against the urge to paw at each other like wild beasts and managed to caress each other with gentle hands; Kim's palms were massaging Shego's back while Shego was tenderly stroking Kim's sides. The attention was gratifying to a degree, but also caused them to ache for each other all the more. They needed more of everything.

Shego pressed forward as they separated for a desperate breath; they had barely pulled away from each other, so close to still touching that they swore they could still feel each other's mouths. Shego then attacked Kim's collarbone with much enthusiasm, causing Kim to hiss sharply at the feel of her lover's lips against her now blazing hot skin. The redhead tasted like ambrosia, Shego was certain of that. Pale green hands crawled upward as painted black lips softly descended on the peach skin at her mercy. Hands met mouth mid-torso where Shego placed a wet kiss in the valley of Kim's breasts, which were both occupied by pale hands.

"Shego…" Kim whimpered in pleasure, shifting a little bit as an indication that she wanted more.

"Tell me, who knows you better than I do?" Shego inquired in almost teasing tone while continuing to knead Kim's flesh.

The redhead did not answer right away. Her mind was hazy, wonderfully clouded with the delight that only Shego could bring her. Her silence was not much appreciated, even though it did show that she was enthralled with what was going on, which was quite the keen stroke to Shego's ego. It just was not enough.

"Who knows you better than I do?" the raven-haired vixen demanded to know, growling the question out now. It almost sounded like she was angry, although she was far from that.

"Nobody," Kim whispered while trying to press herself deeper into Shego's magnificently talented hands. She knew that she needed to answer the question or she would end up being tortured with those devoted hands that she needed on her flesh in the same way her lungs needed air. She was at Shego's mercy, totally at it.

"I didn't quite hear that," Shego commented, applying a bit more pressure, which caused Kim to let out a small moan. She knew that she was not assisting in Kim's ability to respond to her verbally, but she did not care. She wanted her answer and she wanted it now at a decent volume.

"Nobody," the olive-eyed hero repeated in the same low tone as before. She was having a bit of a problem multitasking with comprehending Shego's question, gathering enough brainpower to respond, focusing on the intense pleasure coursing through her right now, and thinking about what was soon to come.

"Louder," Shego ordered before licking around Kim's right mound. There was a spot there that she was avoiding just to torment the redhead until she got the exact volume that she desired.

"Nobody!" Kim answered in a shout because she knew that if she did not say it loud enough, Shego would just keep taunting her, no matter how limited the time was that they had together.

Shego chuckled a bit before going in for rose-colored peak of the hill that her mouth was engaged with while caressing the redhead's sweet spot. Kim cried out and held Shego to her as soon as the raven-haired woman made contact with her delightful mouth on that aching bud. Shego wanted to stay where she was, suckling and nibbling, wishing that could leave a mark that declared Kimmie was hers and hers alone, but she could not do such a thing and would not do it. She would not put her princess in such a predicament.

Since Shego could not do what she wished while at Kim's chest, she decided to continue on downward the breathtaking body begging, aching, and beckoning for her touch. As she began her descent, she eased Kim down onto her back to make things easier and more comfortable for the both of them. The redhead ended up lying down on the deep, cushioned rug that was underneath them while Shego was tenderly kissing her abdomen. She dipped her tongue into Kim's little bellybutton and swirled around the impression as if it was lined with candy. Kim was panting in anticipation and licked her drying lips from the unbelievable sensations that Shego was able to provide her with, everything crackling through her body like electricity.

While taking time to kiss around Kim's abdomen, Shego brought her hands down to get rid of Kim's pants. Once again, buttons meant nothing to the pale woman. She practically tore the pants from Kim panting form, ripping the button off in the process. The redhead hardly noticed her pants being yanked off of her, as she was too worried about how her skin felt so much like it was on fire and her blood was boiling with ecstasy. All she did notice was that Shego's mouth had left her body for a brief moment, which was only because Shego had to pull Kim's pants off and remove her boots. Underwear went with the pants and those were lost somewhere behind Shego where they would not get in her way.

Kim cried out to the short, wooden ceiling as Shego came back in, kissing her deeply below her navel. The hero's head thrashed to the side as the phenomenal probe continued and she managed to intertwine her hands with Shego's hands, feeling their souls connect through their palms. Shego listened just as intently as she worked, enjoying the way Kim lost herself in the feeling that she was delivering, a feeling that _only_ she could deliver; that thought drove the green-skinned former villainess on. Kim locked her ankles around Shego's back, urging the raven-haired woman on while panting her emotions into the thick carpet, informing the fibers just how much she loved the woman loving her that very moment.

After a few minutes of attention, Kim shuddered violently before her body went limp. Shego remained at her station for a moment more, taking in Kim's essence with all the care that one might take with appreciating fine wine. She halted when Kim whispered her name and she felt Kim's small hand on her cheek, silently requesting that she look up.

"Can't you see I'm working here?" Shego quipped with a half-smirk and her eyes half-closed, looking quite drunken. She was intoxicated with the woman beneath her and she did not mind one bit.

"I want you to work up here now," Kim stated firmly.

"Your wish is my command, princess," the pale woman remarked, still smirking. Her lips glistened from her recent feast and she licked around her mouth for any traces of the nectar.

Shego got up on all fours and made her way up Kim's body in the bare minimum moves. The redhead reached out to take a hold of Shego's evil pants. She unfastened the trousers and pushed them down Shego's hips as best she could. Shego wiggled her way out of the pants and kicked them off once they were down to her knees. She did not have on any footwear to worry about; one of the good things about showing up first was getting rid of annoying accessories like boots. Once her pants were gone, Kim got to see that Shego had been going commando, which was not a surprise either; once again, showing up first had its advantages and she was able to discard any annoying accessories.

The pair were face to face now with Shego's hair acting as a curtain to hid their faces from any prying furniture or nosy snowflakes. They smiled at each other before Kim brought her head up to kiss Shego amorously on the mouth while Shego rolled her hips into Kim's own hips. The meeting was the very meaning of sensual and heaven and they both shuddered from the delicious contact. As the motion continued, Kim pulled away from Shego's lips to bit down on her own lip while clinging to Shego as if she was a piece of drift wood and she was lost at sea.

"Oh, god, Shego," Kim moaned the name as if her lover was a lifesaver and she buried her head in Shego's shoulder to hide the fact that tears were welling up in her eyes due to the intense pleasure that she was feeling and the fact that she could not feel it more often.

"Whose are you, pumpkin?" Shego inquired through a heavy pant. Kim often wondered how her lover's brain functioned well enough through their lovemaking for her to think of questions, let alone muster the energy to ask them. The pale woman had no clue how she managed it, but she knew that she liked talking to Kim and just could not stop unless her mouth was busy with other things.

"Wha?" Kim countered as if she did not understand English, or language in general. Hell, she could barely comprehend anything beyond the physical delight that they were sharing and the deep connection that she felt to the older female.

"Whose are you?" Shego demanded to know, growling more because of how her body melted into Kim's like ice cream in the summer sun. She was convinced that the petite form underneath her was the meaning of her happiness and her one true love that she would never be able to leave and would always need.

"Yours," Kim answered in a breath; it almost did not sound like an answer. All her mind could handle was one word and she was lucky to get that out because she could not think and have sex with Shego at the same time. Her whole mind tended to focus solely on her lover and the paradise that their bodies created when together.

"Whose?" Shego practically snarled now, her brain fogged over with passion and sheer delight. She knew more on instinct what she wanted from her lover than her being able to seriously consider the meaning of it at the moment. She wanted an unquestionable response.

"Yours!" Kim screamed for any and all to hear. Damn it, she was Shego's and no one else's. It was just that simple.

"Damn right," Shego stated. Kim was hers and she did not care what happened in the outside world when they were apart. Kim was still hers and she would remind Kim of that every time that they were together. She would also remind Kim that she was the hero's, not that Kim would ever forget either of those.

Kim continued crying as they were together, moving as one, and only finally ceased when she was resting against Shego, who rolled onto her back in order to have Kim curled up on her side. She was not worried about Kim's tears because she knew why the redhead was weeping. They were tears of joy; Kim was happy to be there with her and that flattered her. To reciprocate her feelings, the pale woman simply wrapped her strong arms against her smaller lover and enjoyed the perfect-ness that came from them touching each other.

"Mine," Shego said in a satisfied tone while holding Kim possessively against her, practically cradling the hero to her, while the carpet rubbed uncomfortably against her sweaty, slightly scratched-up back. While the carpet did not feel good and the scratch marks hurt a little, she did not notice at all because everything about her could only focus on the slender adventurer in her arms.

"Always," Kim replied sincerely and she pushed herself up to give Shego a deep, affectionate kiss. They both could feel the infinite amount of love that they held for each other in that kiss.

Yes, she was Shego's despite the fact that she was currently in a relationship with Ron. She was cheating on her blonde best friend/boyfriend. She could not help herself, or at least that was what she told herself. She was a girl in love, just with the wrong person most people would think, but she loved the woman that she was with and had for years now. And she did not feel guilty over it, not anymore anyway.

Kim used to feel deep, almost crippling guilt when she felt realized that she loved Shego. The feeling did not ease up when she learned that Shego felt the same way. They worked through an emotional affair that was now accompanied by physical affair. Then when the terrible guilt faded, she felt bad about not even feeling guilty. She had no qualms with calling herself a horrible, terrible person for lacking what she felt was a proper emotion for her situation and her actions. But, that no longer happened either, her burning love for Shego easily outweighing any negative emotions that would dare broach her lovesick heart. All she felt now was a bottomless yearning to be with Shego without hurting Ron over it and for the moment, what she was doing was all she could do because anything else would be impossible. She could not live without Shego, but she just could not injure her lifelong friend in anyway, as that was not in her nature.

Kim did not have any desire to wound Ron, so she just had not broken up with him. She believed that he genuinely cared about her as a boyfriend should care about a girlfriend while she felt for him what she felt for her brothers. She had known him longer than she had known the tweebs after all. She could not explain it, but she really felt like Ron was family and she did not mean it in an in-law way. She just never said anything about it because she did not want to hurt him; she loved the guy after all. She also came to realization rather late, as she had already been in the relationship with him when she figured out that she viewed him like a brother, one that she did not want to beat to death most of the time. So, instead of breaking up and requesting, or begging on her hands and knees, that they remain friends, which she doubted would happen if they did break up now, Kim had opted to be with the woman that she loved while remaining with Ron. Shego accepted that and Ron was none-the-wiser.

"We are going to have to say something one day," Shego commented, as if she knew what was on Kim's mind, which she did. After all, no one knew the petite hero as well as she did. It always loomed in the back of their minds that one day they were both going to have to reveal themselves.

"One day," Kim agreed. They could not go on forever in such a manner after all. But, what was she going to do when that day came? She did not want to lose or hurt her best friend. Until she figured something out, she was going to continue on with how things were. It was just going to have to be that way.

The redhead left her bothered thoughts and began to snuggle into Shego, resting her head against the pale green shoulder as if it was the greatest pillow of all time; in fact, Kim could only think of one better place to rest her head and it was another piece of anatomy on the former villainess. Shego rubbed her cheek into the silky red mane like an affection-seeking feline since the cushion of hair was near her face. For the moment, they were in heaven and they would take it as it was.

Someday, they were going to have to say something and they just hoped that they did not lose everything that they held dear to them when they did. They would still have each other, of course, but they both recognized that there was more to life than just their love. There was the love of their family, which they did not want to lose and they had a feeling, a fear really, that they would lose those people if it were ever to be known of what they had really been doing with each other.

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Next time: What or who is Ron doing at this time?


	2. Monkey shines

I don't own these characters.

A/N: I guess I should mention that this story is actually a collection of one-shots that follow a theme. I forgot to say that before. Sorry.

2: Monkey shines

Ron stared at the shadow-covered ceiling with his pale arms behind his head, which had shifted his little pillow that he had been resting his head on sometime ago. His mind was wandering while his eyes remained focused on the insignificant space. The moonlight was shining in through a small window some feet away in the small, proportionally built room; the light was intruding upon the private scene. As usual the moon, which lacked any sense of respect, was the only witness to the disgrace that went on in the room that was away from any other prying eyes and ears.

Well, Ron would not describe it as a disgrace in any way, shape, or form, even if it did involve complete dishonesty and the breaking of at least one of the Ten Commandants. But, then again, he personally had never been too into religion and he was not about to start worrying about it now, although it did stand in his way a bit. Religion was a minor roadblock that could lead to major problems in his life.

The blonde would like to say that there were worse things to do in life and, sure, there were, but that was no excuse. Besides, he figured that he was probably doing the worst thing that he could possibly do. The thing was that it was also the best thing that he could possibly do. It was all so frustrating and fulfilling at the same time; he was not sure if there was something that he could even compare it to since it was not like a human being could be starving and full at the same time or sorrowful and elated simultaneously. The sensation should not make sense and did not make sense, but it existed all the same. If only actions came without consequences, he silently lamented. He knew that he would be asking for the impossible if things were to be less complicated then they were but that would not stop him; he was wishing for the moon with that one.

The moon; it was always out when he was there, almost like it was stalking him or playing the voyeur in his life. If not that then maybe the floating ball was his silent guardian angel, not saying anything approving or disapproving to his actions. That glowing disc, like a halo over the Earth, knew what he did every time that he claimed that he was going to train. It was just a good thing that the moon could not speak a word or else all of his lies would be for naught. Not that he spoke many of the lies aloud, but that did not mean he was not lying with every move that he made and every breath that he took. It was only there, where he was located at that very moment, where he told the truth every time he took a breath, every time he blinked his eyes, and every time a thought entered his head. Outside of that room, those grounds, that mountain, he lied all of the time.

To make matters worse, Ron did not feel terrible about lying. He used to feel some rather overwhelming, gut-wrenching guilt over things as if his intestines were always going through a meat grinder. But, that was a while ago, back when he believed that his actions were almost completely wrong, regardless of how right and good things felt and left him. The more that he did it, the more the guilt melted away like glacial ice, growing less and less with each trip that he made. And then, for a while, he felt bad about not feeling less guilt and then he felt even worse when he realized that he was not even feeling guilty anymore. He had believed that he had to be some kind of demon to not feel wrong over what he was doing, but that went away like the guilt, eventually eroding away like a stone in the desert. Now, it just felt normal, like things were supposed to be the way that they were and there was nothing wrong with what was happening. He did not think anything of his actions now for the most part.

"Ron-kun," Yori purred as she sat up to lean onto his chest. The way that she said his name was enough to make the blonde young man melt into a little peach-colored puddle. She had been pressed comfortably against his chest while he was trying to recover his energy and she had been busying herself with drawing little circles on his arm and hip.

Ron would marry that ninja woman tomorrow if he could. Hell, he would have married her yesterday if he could have, a year ago if he could have done so. If only things were that simple. There were a couple of reasons why he would not and could not marry Yori. Topping the chart was not even his relationship with Kim, although that was the second matter on the list of why he could not marry Yori.

The young man really would just like to break up with Kim and be with Yori, but he doubted that would work out in the manner that he truly wished things to go. It was not that he did not like Kim and did not want to be around her anymore. Quite the contrary, he loved Kim. He loved Kim with all of his heart and soul, but he was not _in_ love with her. He loved Kim like he loved Hana. Hell, his affections for Hana helped him realize just how he loved Kim and that it was not a romantic feeling. Kim was like a sister to him; a sister that did not require diaper changes and did not get chocolate ice cream on his shirt. It was because of his realization that he was scared to break up with Kim.

The blonde sidekick doubted that Kim would still want to be best friends with him if they ended their relationship. He wished that they could stay friends because if they could, he would have broken up with her a long time ago. But, she seemed to like being his girlfriend. Well, she did not show any signs of discontent anyway, although he also did not show any signs of discontent. But then again he was pretending, damn well in fact, while he believed that Kim was being genuine. He could not risk losing his lifelong friend just because he did not want to be her boyfriend anymore, although he suspected that one day he was going to have to tell her. After all, if he just continued lying, Kim might actually want to get married or something and then his actions would just be worse than they were already. He would not be able to live with himself if he was to lie and cheat on Kim and she was his wife. That would just be too much.

Besides, he owed Kim the truth. He owed his lifelong friend, his best friend, and a woman that he loved like a sister the unrestricted truth. She deserved to know where his heart was and she would know about it. She would know about it when the moment came where he could muster the courage to say such heavy words. He might have to learn to lift mountains to speak words that had to weigh a ton each. He wondered if his tongue would even be able to carry such weight. He figured out that he would have to find out some day, because he would have to get out that tormenting speech and pray that Kim would not abandon him completely for his actions. It was not like he had set out to harm his best friend, he would never do something so heartless and he hoped that she knew that and believed him.

Aside for his relationship with Kim, the main reason that Ron could not marry Yori was his parents. They would never approve of him being with a non-Jewish girl. The only reason that they accepted Kim as his girlfriend was because he had known her forever and they had gotten to know Kim extremely well. His parents would allow him to marry Kim if he ever wanted to, but he did not desire that in the slightest. The only one that he ever wanted was pressed lovingly against his side and looking at him with shimmering onyx eyes full of adoration and love, which was reflected back to her through his chocolate-colored eyes whenever he looked at her.

Despite the fact that his parents had adopted a Japanese baby, they were not as open-minded as the blonde young man would have liked. They would never accept Yori and even if they did, he still had grandparents that he would have to contend with and no matter how hard he fought, he knew that they would never give an inch. He was not prepared to lose his family, even if it was for the girl of his dreams. So, he sneaked around to be with her, not the most chivalrous thing a man could do, he silently admitted to himself. But, it was the best that he could do at the moment and she understood that. She accepted that, which made him love her all the more.

Ron turned his head to give Yori his full attention since she had said his name in that sexy, wonderful purr that she tended to speak with when they were alone. Her back was to the window, so she was being bathed in moonlight. She was given an ethereal glow due the beams from the celestial body and looked quite angelic thanks to the light shining down on her perfect, smooth skin. He would testify wholeheartedly to her being an angel if ever brought to task. The small smile that she was sporting assisted in the effect that her form and the moon were creating together and caused Ron to smile too, happy to just be in her presence. He felt oddly lucky to have Yori despite how he was having her. She was of a like mind on that too.

"What's up?" Ron asked casually while moving his hand from behind his head to around Yori's tanned shoulders; she had been doing a lot of training outside in open areas before Ron showed up and her skin had developed a tasty light caramel tone to it. She was sweet like a caramel in his opinion and he would do quite a bit to savor her flavor.

"You love me, don't you?" she inquired, seemingly out of the blue, but she just liked to hear the words. She sounded hopeful, as if she did not know the response that was going to come her way, even though it had come to her several times in that visit alone.

"You know I do," he answered earnestly with an amused smile. His voice did not hold any inch of doubt and she easily detected that, but that response did not satisfy her in any way, shape, or form.

Yori frowned deeply, especially for a woman that had just had her lover confirm his affections for her. Her elegant ebony eyebrows were drawn close together while her forehead was wrinkled from furrowing her brow. Her peculiar expression caused Ron to laugh, even though knew why she was making such face. She did not want verification of his adoration because she was quite aware where his heart lay. She wanted him to say those three magnificent words.

"Come on, Ron-kun," she playfully admonished him and took a light slap at his chest as his punishment. The hit was nothing short of a pressured caress and an excuse to feel his beautiful skin underneath her calloused fingertips.

"I…" Ron started to say, but he paused as he pulled Yori closer to him. "Love…" He moved his face closer to hers. "You." He kissed her ever so gently on her tempting mouth causing her to practically melt against him at his show of affection.

Yori could only wonder how this man had such a profound and outstanding affect on her. The things that she would do for him all because of the intense, overpowering feelings that crashed through her like rough waters because of his mere presence seemed outrageous to her. She did not understand why she was such a way for him, but she really did not care about the reasons. As long as he loved her, she would continue on the way that she was, even if she did not like part of who she was now.

The ebony-haired ninja was doing the dishonorable thing of being with another woman's man and she had acknowledged that in her heart when her affair with Ron started. It was something that she probably would have scolded someone else over, lecturing that person on end about such distasteful behavior and injuring their pride. She never would have thought that she would be in such a position, but now she was there and she was not backing down from it either.

The Japanese woman had started out like Ron, guilt weighing on her like she had the entire world on her back. Gradually, that weight decreased and was replaced with the equally heavy burden on figuring that she had to be one of the worst persons in existence because she no longer felt the guilt that had pressed on her. But, that too was gone now and in its place was just the eternal joy that came with being with her beloved Stoppable-san.

Yori liked Ron since she first met him and had loved him shortly there after. She was not sure what it was about him that made her feel such emotions or even when she started feeling such things. There was something about him that just brought her happiness and she wished to return the feeling to him ten-fold. If she died before Ron, heaven for her would be to just be able to float by his side forever and always.

She actually felt like she deserved Ron, believing that she could love him better than Kim could, if there was such a thing as "better love" from an emotional and affectionate standpoint. Yes, she put up a strong front when she found out that Kim and Ron were dating almost three years ago, but it was only a front. It was not even a strong front in her opinion and it was not one that she could keep up for long with Ron.

For Yori, it had been nothing short of a miracle, a divine gift, when she confessed her feelings to Ron and he had actually embraced her rather than turning her away, as she had been frightened of happening like a rabbit cornered by a fox. He had kissed her so sweetly and her heart pounded such a heavy tattoo in her ears that she thought that she was going deaf. The strong emotions coursed through her so powerfully, that she had thought that she was dying; he had felt the same thing at the time. And when they had pulled away from each other and gazed into each other's eyes, they saw it all for the first time; the person standing opposite them loved him in a way that no other human being ever had and probably ever would.

As it was stated, she used to feel guilty over things just like Ron did. After all, Kim was her good friend now, and they actually seemed to grow closer each time that they crossed paths. Yet, there she was being in love and showing it with Kim's boyfriend. But, she honestly believed that no one could love Ron like she did and she could not turn him away when he accepted her affections. She could not hide her joy when he explained that he felt the same way, but he could not end things with Kim. From the ache that she experienced by not being able to have him, she would take him in any way, shape, or form now. So, she got to see him one weekend every couple of months when he told Kim that he was going off to train. Sometimes, he would use the excuse more readily because he longed to see Yori to the point that it was pure agony to be without her, but he did not want Kim to get suspicious.

Yori held onto the hope that one day Ron would tell Kim what was going on. She believed that it would do all three of them some good when that day came. The undercover lovers had discussed it happening and Ron assured her that he was going to tell Kim, but he was not sure when. He did not know how to break such news to his best friend without crushing her, shattering her like a rock through a glass window. He loved Kim, after all, and no one wanted to hurt a loved one, especially someone that he looked to as a sister. He was in a catch-22 and Yori recognized that, which was why she did not pressure him. She would just hold onto him while she had the chance and have faith that someday he would be fully hers. He would keep his word.

"I love you too, Ron-kun," Yori said from the bottom of her heart as Ron pulled away from her lips enough for her to get the words out.

"I know you do," he replied with a wide, happy grin. It pleased him very much to know full well that she was so deeply in love with him because he was over-the-edge, head-over-heels, crazy in love with her.

"I'll always love you," she promised him in a gentle tone. No matter what happened, even if he never got around to telling Kim about them, she would always love the blonde young man.

"I know you will," he replied in a similar tone, making sure to keep eye contact with her. Looking into each other's eyes was a big thing for them because it was one of their favorite places to get lost. Their eyes always told them how much the other cared so deeply for them. Looking into those practically liquid onyx pools or those deep chocolate orbs allowed them to see into each other's souls and when they looked there, they felt like they were seeing the very same soul.

Yori's endless love was one the thing that did make Ron feel guilty about what was happening. He felt guilty that he was not able to be with her completely and fully, something that she deserved. He wanted nothing more than to be able to deliver such a thing. He was going to have to keep his word to her someday, he vowed. He just would not be able to live with himself if he ended up lying to her. She deserved the truth just as much as Kim did and they would finally be able to move forward. They all would be able to move forward.

"I'll always love you too," Ron said soundly and that response earned him a deep, passionate kiss.

Yori leaned further into the tender show of affection, forcing Ron's head back until he was lying on the soft pillow underneath him. Yori climbed above him; making sure to keep the kiss going, putting all of her emotions for him into that one, long embrace. Their tongues entwined, rubbing against each other like sticks to start a campfire, causing their passion to ignite once again.

Ron wrapped his arms around Yori, pressing her nude form into his own while they continued on kissing heatedly. He moaned mentally when he felt her small breasts against his surprisingly sturdy chest. They believed that they fit together quite well, as if they were made for each other like a two-piece puzzle. They pulled away for air for a moment and Ron massaged the small of Yori's back with thoughtful fingers. She purred quite clearly from the feel of his hands against her skin; he loved that sound.

Yori noted the feeling Ron's heart beat against her chest and reveled in that feeling. He noticed it too and just let it wash over him for a second or so. It felt like their hearts were beating as one, rather quickly as one. Their heart rates were speeding up because they knew what was coming next and they were eager to get to it, but they did like the anticipation of it all. Sometimes, they were amazed at how they felt before being intimate. They often wondered why their hearts did not explode from the increase in tempo that always occurred during times like the one they were in right now.

Ron sat up as soon as he had enough with breathing; it was such a nuisance, he thought. He then moved in to capture Yori's mouth with his own to begin yet another essence-scorching kiss. As distracting as the kiss was, she did feel him come to life, pressing against the inside of her thigh, but he did not really seem to take note of it. He was too busy thinking about her, touching her and getting her prepared.

He reached down between their extremely close bodies, his pale hand disappearing between her tanned legs. She breathed heavy into his mouth when his probing fingers made earth-shattering contact with her. His skilled hand caressed her with great interest while she began panting, having to pull away from his fantastic lips to bury her head in his neck.

"Ron-kun, please, not like this," she begged in a small voice, speaking into his sweat-covered flesh.

"It's up to you," he answered her. It was all her call in his opinion.

The ebony-haired ninja nodded and pushed her lover back down to his pillow. She then received Ron for the third time that night as he took his hand away. They both sat still for a moment, looking directly at each other as was their habit. It was at moments like that where they almost felt certain that they would be able to read each other's thoughts because they felt as close as any two people could.

She then began to rock slowly above him, delighting in the easy pace that she had no intention of changing. He exhaled sharply as she moved and placed a hand on her hip to keep her steady while his other hand traveled north to make itself busy with her breasts, massaging them at the fond degree and making her want to cry out, but she held off on making such a loud noise. They continued to look in each other's eyes as they went on and on.

The connection that they felt while joined as one was beyond anything that they could describe. They were not even sure if there was something that they could compare it to; maybe it was like invisible threads that lead from one to the other and allowed happiness to flow into them from the other. There was always something between them that kept them connected, even when they were miles apart in separate hemispheres, but when they were together it was almost too much to bear. It felt like the very definition of beautiful and right. They were meant to be; they could feel it in every breath that they took, every time they just brushed against each other, and just looking into each other's eyes.

Yori let out a cough that was supposed to be a moan, but it had gotten caught in her throat. She was trying her best to hold back any noises because she disliked being loud, even though there was no one around considering the fact that they were staying in a small shack out in the woods away from the Yamanouchi school. They were on the same mountain, though. Her speed increased ever-so slightly and Ron sat up, his hand on her hip, moving to her back to support her while his other hand continued to fondle her chest with tender care. He placed a heated, near-bruising kiss to her neck, tasting the salt on her skin along with the unidentifiable taste that was simply her, before finding her mouth where she met his fire with her own and their passion blazed on through the moonlit night.

Soon murmurs of their fondness for each other started escaping their lips when their mouths were not busy expressing a great interest with each other. It was like they were offering the other a prayer or their sworn loyalty until the end of time. Nothing would ever break their connection; they promised each other more with their eyes and movements than with their words. And the moon watched on, as the usual witness and proof of their affection until it was all over and they could barely move to make such vows in that manner.

They fell back on to their futon when they were exhausted, dripping with fresh sweat. Yori had bit into her lip so badly during her moment that it was bleeding, but she did not mind in the slightest and only licked off the crimson liquid until it ceased trying to escape from her injury. She was just pleased to be there with the love of her life. Ron was of like mind, but he was a little worried about her wounded lip, which he could plainly see because his eyes had adjusted to the dark a long time ago. She could see the concern in his beautiful brown eyes and kissed him to keep him from bringing up her damaged lip. He did not argue with the tactic and was silent when the deep show of affection was finished well over a minute ago.

"I love you so much," Yori stated firmly from the depths of her soul. No one on the planet would have been able to argue against her on that and win simply because of her tone. The statement was set in stone and would never change. She loved him, Ron Stoppable, another woman's man.

"I love you too," he replied just as soundly. He was so in love with Yori that he could do what he did and not feel one bit of guilt anymore. He loved her enough to miss her when the weekend was up and when he was back home and supposed to be Kim's boyfriend. Little did Kim know, most of the time, he just pretended that she was Yori in order to help him keep up the charade that was their so-called relationship. His heart belonged to Yori and it always would.

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Next time: what or who does Mrs. Possible do to unwind?


	3. Exams

I don't own these characters.

3: Exams

Doctor Annika Possible, Ann to her few friends and many colleagues, was only slightly baffled by how she had gotten into her current position, not that she was going to complain about it at all. She should have guessed that things were going to go as they were anyway. They always did, after all, and she never made any move to stop it. The thing was that it was never planned. They never set up for things to end up where they were. It just seemed to be a natural progression for them; maybe it had always been natural for them to end up as they were about to when stress and frustration came into play.

The day started out simple and innocent enough, as they typically did the past twenty or so years. She had called her old college friend for need of a day in reality, not the on-going, often-exploding science experiment that was her home. Now, she loved her husband and her sons. She did not mind their ever-growing desire to try out loud, fiery, dangerous and a dozen other types of experiments in the house…with her around while she was trying to relax…after pulling overtime at the hospital, doing not only major brain surgery, but other surgeries as well considering the fact that she was a talented general surgeon as well as neurosurgeon. Okay, maybe it grated on her worn down nerves ever-so slightly. That would explain why she needed to get out of the house for the day before she snapped like a splintered bone and made her favorite fellows regret their love of science and their disregard for her once clean house.

So, the redhead had dialed up her friend, who was more than up for spending sometime together for her own reasons also involving stress-related issues. They both practically ran together for the usual, special-brand of support that they brought to each other. Tension seemed to keep their friendship alive, Ann thought. In fact, it seemed that their friendship might have been built on stress and frustration. Those things seemed to be strong foundations, as they had been friends for well over twenty years now. She was not sure if it was a good thing or not, but she was not going to question it. Just like she was not going to question her current situation.

When the day started, it was simple, quietly soothing for the most part. She met up with her friend at a little café. They spoke softly while eating lunch together, catching up on the good times that had occurred since the last time that they met. Smiles were exchanged along with surprising jokes, as if it had not been months since the last time that they had seen each other. They both felt the pressure and tightness that had been wound in their bodies as if the feelings had been chained to them abandoned them after a few minutes of being in each other's company. Being around each other was better than a full body massage in their opinions, which was something that kept them together through the years. They were each other's best kind of therapy, physically and mentally, easing away the ill feelings that they carried with them kind of like pack mules.

After lunch, the pair had gone to the movies for lack of a better thing to do. It was an enjoyable outing for the most part, even though they did not want to see anything that was playing. By that time, the day showed no signs of them ending up where they were now, yet there they were. It seemed inevitable, but wholly avoidable at the same time. It never occurred to them to put a halt to things because where they were seemed to be the natural way that things went for them.

Ann was sitting on a made bed in a fairly nice motel room; they would never think to go to one of their homes to do what they were about to do, even if no one was going to be home. She was sitting on a decent mattress, comfortable to a degree. The room itself was pretty small, but the doctor was not going to be there long enough to care about that. She was just waiting for her friend to come pay her some mind, but a phone call was getting priority over her, which she could understand. Her friend had important things to handle after all. Little things like that was one of the reasons that her friend, well, loved her, although she was well aware that the love was far from romantic.

The brief time that the neurosurgeon was alone, the redhead did have time to think about what she knew was going to happen. One would think that she would leave, but she never did. She never left when she had the chance, just like they never turned around when she and her friend had the chance to do so. Why should she leave? She wanted it, almost needed it as much as her friend did. That was the way things were between them, the way that things had almost always been.

Now, things should not get twisted to the point where one would assume that Ann did not love her husband to the stars and back. She did love that man beyond comprehension and she knew full well that the feeling was returned, which made her gleeful to a certain extent. She would never want to lose her husband, so why was she doing what she was doing? Well, for one, she doubted that she would get caught and, yes, even she had a little bad streak in her to where if she could get away with something, then she had no problem with doing it. Ann was no saint and never pretended to be one. She had been doing what she was doing for a long time now and had not been caught, so she doubted that she ever would get caught.

The doctor also was not going to lie to herself and say that it was just sex, meaningless and fueled only by a desire to feel physical pleasure. It was nothing like that; she liked to doubt that there was no such thing as meaningless sex anyway. There was always something to the act beyond lust and there was that with her and her friend. There was some emotion connected to the act between them. She felt some strange form of love for her friend that went beyond friendship, but never achieved something that made them go for an actual romantic relationship. It was something odd, but they both accepted it and benefited from it.

Their love was something that had existed almost as long as their friendship. The pair sometimes joked about it because they did discuss their feelings openly, like they did everything else. They teased each other about being "weird" because of their relationship; it was a good way to unwind after a semester of them trying to kill each other, which was something else that made their friendship odd and was also something else that they joked about. It was not that they tried to physically destroy each other, going at each other in a fight or something like that. No, they were too subtle for such actions.

"Sorry about that," her friend said as she entered the room, disturbing Ann's thoughts. She had taken her phone call in the bathroom because of the number that had come up.

"No problem. I hope it's not something serious," Ann replied sincerely. The last thing that either of them needed was for their day to be brought to a halt due to something serious, meaning the stress was just going to be back hours after it had been banished.

"No, Agent Du just can't tie his shoelaces without knowing what paperwork to fill out and being given direct orders to do so," came the reply from Doctor Elizabeth Director, known as Betty to her few friends, annoying brother, and a certain green-skinned, smart-mouthed agent that she did not even want to think about.

Ann chuckled a bit. "You're the one that promoted him."

Betty sighed as if she was exhausted. "I should've known better. Why do I bring these things onto myself?" she asked, speaking mostly herself. She knew that most of the trouble that she had in life was her own fault in someway, yet she continued on like that. Why?

"We like the pressure. We always have," Ann reminded her friend.

Betty could not argue that one. Most of her stress she did bring upon herself, just like Ann. They had always been that way, even as undergrads in college. From the moment that they met, finding themselves roommates, they discovered themselves to be rather unhealthy for each other. They had the bad habit of feeding the other's drive by offering up a rival with an equal sense of power. They always competed with each other back then to see who could take on more, who could be the better student since that was mainly what they had in common in a broad sense. They always both went to school all year round, taking the maximum amount of credits allowed in the summer and winter sessions. They usual went very overboard on credits during the fall and spring semesters, which actually led to them both graduating a year and a half earlier than they were supposed to. They used to frighten people at their school with the way they worked and managed to maintain perfect grade point averages. They were a surreal duo back then; they still were.

"Now, I was doing something before the phone call from the dumb…" Betty pretended to ponder the matter. "I'm thinking it was you," she realized with a devilish smirk.

"You might be onto something," Ann remarked with a chuckle.

"Or I will be." Betty smirked and then she pounced on the redheaded doctor on the bed. The mattress squeaked beneath them, protesting the action as if it knew who they were and what was to come, while Ann giggled a little bit.

The brunette woman attacked Ann in an instant with a hard kiss on the lips. The embrace was rather different from the ones that they experienced with their significant others as well as other people that they had kissed before meeting each other and their mates. It was unique and complicated, like everything else between them. There was no jolt of electricity, no lighting of an inferno inside of either of them; it was not even the calm before the storm. It was more like having an ice cream cone on a summer day, just satisfying and chasing away bothersome heat; their kiss chased away bothersome stress.

Ann accepted the rough kiss as always, wrapping her arms around one of the most powerful women in the world, not that such a thing ever entered Ann's mind. After all, she knew Betty back when the brunette used to hyperventilate over finals. Not that she could say anything to that fact considering that Betty knew her back when she used to have panic-attacks over lab reports. They knew some rather embarrassing, key information on each other and they could only trust that the other never leaked the circumstances to someone else.

Back then, in college, they competed with each other to an exhausting degree, almost working each other to death, but they also knew when to call it quits. They knew when the other was going to crack without words being said and they still seemed to have that ability. They both always almost hit the breaking point at the same time, so when one called the other for a need of relaxing, the other was at the same point and required the same thing. It had always been that way and back when they competed, they both always quit at the same time, knowing each other so well that they never even had to say the words. There was just a look that they gave each other that spoke volumes, mostly saying, "If we keep this up, we'll be dead and it'll still be a tie." Tying was much better than death in their opinions because they lived to compete another day. As much as they wore each other out, the pair did like going against each other, pushing themselves to keep up with the other and the feeling was so stimulating. It was close to being addictive for them back then.

"When do you have to be home?" Betty asked curiously as she pulled away from the redhead's sweet lips, not as sweet as her significant other, but sweet nonetheless. She had little desire to keep Ann beyond the time that the neurosurgeon had to spare. She understood that Ann had responsibilities that she had to get back to just like Ann understood that she had things that she needed to get back to.

"In a couple of hours to make dinner," Ann answered while gasping in some air, knowing that she was going to require it soon enough when that busy mouth came back to her for more. She would not deny it when it came, enjoying the moment just as much as her friend did.

Betty nodded and fought the urge to laugh, as she often did when the doctor said something like that. Ann was so domestic for someone with her job and intellect in the brunette's opinion. It was actually a bit amazing to the director of Global Justice that her best friend pretty much could be the same woman that she met many years ago while also being a mother and housewife to an extent. Betty doubted that she could ever be a homemaker because of who she was and because of her job. She wished that her girlfriend could understand that the way that Ann did. Not that Betty would prefer a relationship with Ann to the one that she had with her girlfriend. No, she loved her perky little blonde with all of her heart, but sometimes, well, Vivian was not as understanding as she would like.

Vivian was always breathing down Betty's neck about something in her opinion. Sometimes they were things that were rather trivial as far as she was concerned. The blonde was always hollering about how Betty took off, sometimes during dates or romantic evenings. It seemed that she never bothered to take into consideration that Betty was the boss of a major global, law enforcement agency and many lives depended on her reaction to situations. Most of the time, Betty tried her best to be there for and with Vivian, but some things just required her attention and she wished that Vivian would accept that. Instead, Vivian whined about it and resented it more often than not, like a spoiled child.

Betty could understand her love's position on the matter, although it was not changing her behavior much. Vivian liked attention from people that were important in her life while the rest of the world's opinions did not matter much to the blonde. Betty was just about the most important person to her, so she delighted in attention from Betty. That alone was flattering in and of itself, but it did not seem to be enough to get Betty to stay home every now and then when her phone went off and it was the office calling. The brunette would actually love nothing more than to lavish Vivian with all the attention that she wanted, but she also liked her job. She would like to be able to do her job without a guilt-trip every time she rushed off to go to work.

"You should try making dinner once in a while," Ann remarked with a teasing smile. She thought that things could be so much better between Vivian and Betty if the law enforcer made an effort every once and while. She would also concede that Vivian should be a little more understanding toward Betty's position. They were both rather stubborn and set in their ways, though.

"Hey, you don't tell me how to not piss my girl off and I won't tell you how to stop your sons from blowing up the laundry room," Betty riposted with a smug look.

Ann laughed a bit, although she supposed that she had been countered quite well. She was not interested in being told how to raise her sons, after all, especially by a woman that did not have any children. Besides, she liked that her sons were free-spirited and desired to experiment, and build their sharp, though dangerous minds. She did not mind their general insanity, but she could not take it all of the time. Instead of stopping them, she just had to get away for a while.

The friends frequently spoke on their relationships and even Ann's family, despite what they were about to do. It was not awkward, especially since they had always talked about everything anyway. They just did not know how to be uncomfortable with each other and accepted what was going on in each other's lives while continuing to be the way that they had always been. They did try to help each other, as that was what their friendship was all about, aside for pushing each other to the point of exhaustion in accomplishments.

"You should do something for her. It'll make her feel better, which will make you feel better," Ann pointed out, rubbing her friend's shoulders since her arms were still around Betty's neck. She could feel how tight Betty's muscles were despite the day that they had just shared; the one-eyed woman was still wound tighter than a bedspring. But, she did notice that Betty's shoulders were loosening up under her adroit fingers.

"I'll think about. I'm not really in the mood with making her feel better after the way she acted last night because I had to go stop some terrorists," the brunette commented with a bit of an attitude, revealing that she was rather upset with her girlfriend, which explained her tense muscles to her friend.

Vivian had pitched a hissy fit over the fact that Betty did have to leave their bed last night to go save lives. They had not even been doing anything, just sleeping, and then she got a call and had to hurry to the office to make sure that people did not have to die in senseless violence. Vivian had been doing that more often lately, whining about things, which was one of the reasons that Betty's stress-levels were through the roof. Sometimes, she feared that she was going to have to go on medication to keep herself from cracking, but things thankfully never came to that because she had something much better than drugs; she had a great friend. Right now, all she wanted to do was rid of herself the tension, just like her friend.

Betty leaned down for another kiss, just as heated and rough as the first one. Ann responded to the kiss the same as before and started pawing at Betty's plain shirt to pull it over the brunette woman's head. The brunette pulled away just for the shirt to come off and dived right back into Ann's mouth as soon as that cloth was gone. The redhead continued returning the kiss while working Betty's plain, white bra off too. Betty hissed in pleasure as she felt Ann's soft, expensive hands on her; those little hands had to be worth a fortune considering how good Ann was at her job.

Betty shifted her body, trying to lean more into Ann's excellent touch as the redhead massaged one of her breasts. She closed her eye and experienced the wonderful caressing. It felt so good, especially since Ann knew just where to touch her and how to do it to help alleviate her tension. It was not exactly sensual or even really sexual amazingly enough, considering what they were about to do. The redhead's work was intense, but not like the touch of a lover. It was not something that Betty could describe, but it worked wonders in relaxing her frazzled nerves as it always did. Ann always had that magic touch in soothing Betty's tense body. But, it was never quite lustful or amorous, even back when they were not "cheating" on their mates and had the chance to be a couple in their own right.

Ann looked up at her friend's face and smiled a bit because she knew that she was doing what she sort of looked at as her duty. She could tell from the relaxed expression on Betty's face that she did need the attention without any hassle, which was something that Ann could easily supply and did, like always. The brunette just needed something that involved no pressure at all, no expectations at all. Betty needed something where she could just be, which was just what her friend gave her.

The redhead sat up a bit to latch onto the peak of Betty's flesh and she began manipulating the pink pearl with her mouth and tongue in a manner typical of her. Betty cried out and held Ann's head to her with one hand to make sure that the attention did not stop. She caressed the back to Ann's head with gentle fingers while Ann worked on her with as much care as the surgeon would use in an operation. After letting Ann feast on her for a few moments, Betty yanked at the doctor's hair, which was a signal that it was her turn.

The first time that Betty had actually pulled on Ann's hair like that, they had gotten into an argument. Ann had not taken kindly to the action and Betty was not one to let anyone, even her closest companion, question her actions. They had been nineteen at the time and spent over an hour barking on each other without their tops on; they supposed that would be the risk when two headstrong, proud people got in bed together. It would have been quite the sight to witness if only everyone on their dorm floor was not too scared to approach their room to find out what was going on.

Ann did not argue and pulled away that time. Betty wasted on time in ridding Ann of her shirt and bra. The brunette acted just as quickly in attacking Ann's chest and the neurosurgeon choked back a scream; Betty knew a secret pressure point on the redhead that even her husband did not know existed. Ann had once tried to tell James about the spot, but he just could not put the right amount of pressure on it the way that Betty did. Hitting the point just right was a surefire way to turn Ann into a jelly-like substance that would be able to go home and keep her sanity for another few months without tension wrapping around her insides like a boa constrictor. And it would seem that only Betty was meant to know where it was and the right way to touch the spot, as if it was a secret musical note and she played it to perfection every time.

The pair did not stop there, even though they were both at ease enough to where they probably could have gone home and lived on without tearing their hair out for a while. They never did things in a half-assed manner and they wanted to make sure that they had properly taken care of the other, though. The last thing that they wanted was to get a phone call a few days later with one of them doing something crazy like crying on the other end due to whatever reason. So, they continued their treatment.

The friends took off each other's clothing. They never took the time to admire the other's physical appearance; it was not something that they really cared about. They slid and started grinding against each other like they used to when they were in college. They moved together as one just like they used to do, like they probably always would as long as they needed to relieve frustration. And there was emotion there, even though it was not the love that they felt for their partners. It was just something that kept them together as good friends that knew what the other needed and was more than willing to supply it.

When it was all said and done, they were going to go back to the loves of their lives; Vivian for Betty and James for Ann. Betty felt like she was in a forgiving mood by the end of things and decided to pick up dinner for her and Vivian, along with the blonde's favorite flowers and a bottle of wine. If it was not for Ann, she would have just decided to let Vivian mope because she would have still felt like she was going to snap in two and to her, Vivian would have been partly to blame for it. It was great for Betty's mind to know that there was someone out there that understood that she had other priorities and responsibilities in life. It was that truth that made her capable of going on, just like always.

Ann knew what that was like, having someone that got her through tough times. She appreciated having someone in her life that had her feet planted firmly on the ground rather than gazing out into space. It just helped her hold onto her sanity and it made sure that she would be able to make it through life. Now, she could go home and deal with everything that came with being the matriarch of the Possible household as well as a world known, first class neurosurgeon. She felt like she could take on anything that life threw her way now.

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Next time: Mr. Possible…


	4. Space cases

I don't own these characters.

4: Space cases

Doctor Vivian Frances Porter was sitting at a table in the space center lab going over some notes for her latest robotics project. She was in a small office with the door shut and it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, if only the floor was not carpeted. Her face was intense, as if she was truly focusing on her work. She was trying her best to place her whole attention to her work, but it was difficult at times. If people knew what went on in her head sometimes, she swore that they would think that she was just as ditzy as she appeared. She did not care what other people thought, but she still felt comforted with the fact that no one could get inside of her head.

The blonde placed a manicured finger to her forehead and massaged the center of her head. It was as if she thought that action would get her back on task. She was finally starting to see numbers again in her pages, so that was enough for her to get back to work. She shifted a bit in her chair, the leather caressing one of her lower limbs like a chilly lover.

She had one of her usual short skirts with her attractive, creamy legs crossed at the knee, one on top of the other. She had hoped that the outfit would catch the attention of her mate, but as always when it came to her significant other, her best-laid plans had gone awry. She did not allow that to stop her from walking out of the apartment in such clothing, though. Her striking appendages were practically on display for any and all to gawk at, but the only other person in the room was Doctor James Timothy Possible. The shocking thing was that he was looking and she was very aware of that.

Vivian did not mind in the slightest that James looked. In fact, she was glad that he did. Sometimes, she would even admit to herself that that was why she left the skirts on when they did not attract her mate's attention. Sure, Betty might not notice or look, but she knew that she could rely on James to appreciate her lower limbs with his eyes. It had been something that she could rely on for a few months now.

It had become a habit of theirs and they were well aware that it was not a very good habit, yet they could not halt. It tickled Vivian to have someone looking at her in a desirable manner, especially someone as sweet and considerate as James. He, on the other hand, felt invigorated knowing that someone as beautiful as Vivian liked attention from an old man like himself. It was almost like a little game for them, entertaining each other and themselves as they felt they required it. It was easier to think of it as a little game for them too.

The game had an air of innocence about it. The one rule they seemed to have was simple; the more virtue that they could attach to things, the better it was for them. After all, they both had women in their lives that they loved dearly. They had people in their lives that that honestly meant the world to them and yet, they did what they did. They had to look at it like some game to keep their wits about them to avoid breaking down.

It would probably mentally and emotionally crush both Vivian and James if they thought about what they did in realistic terms and put everything in order. The guilt would stretch them out as if they were on a rack and they would certainly snap. It would be like waking up to a true nightmare, finding themselves to be wicked, evil, terrible people that could do what they felt was the worst of deed, betraying themselves and their loves. They had to think of it as a game to prevent reality from raining on their parade and stealing their sanity. Besides, it was not like what they did was anything serious, to them anyway.

They never said anything to each other that they did not find what was going on serious. It seemed a bit insulting to say to the other, so they kept that to themselves. It did not seem like they cared either because neither of them asked for reasons in regard to why the other played the game. They just played with each other, taking what they did from it and not wondering what the other got in return.

James was very aware that his whole attraction to Vivian was what was commonly known as a midlife crisis. He was not totally sure what brought on the crisis, but it was there, leading him to do things that he would never approve of. Maybe it was because he felt like he was getting old. He had turned fifty a few months ago, just a little before his game with Vivian started, and the milestone had been more depressing than a reason to celebrate. He was just an old man at fifty, he figured.

James did hide his depression from his wife and family. He did not want them to know because part of him knew that his feelings were silly. He just could not rid himself of the emotion. He continued to think that he was an old man. Vivian made him think otherwise since he doubted that a beauty like her would be attracted to an old man. Maybe there was more to it, but he tried not to think about it. He actually hoped that he got over it soon.

The rocket scientist felt horrible thanks to his actions during his "midlife crisis." He knew that the logical thing to do would be to cease his activities and then he would no longer feel so terrible. The problem was that he could not stop just yet. His mind did not seem ready to give things up, still insisting that he was an old man, so he continued playing the little game that they had worked out for themselves. The game tended to go the same way whenever they played, which was not getting to be less and less. He hoped that was because he was finally getting away from his "midlife crisis."

The little game had been going on for months, but it did have lulls in it. It never was daily thing. In fact, it was not even something that happened on the weekly basis much of the time. Since it was most initiated by Vivian, the game went with her whim. James never complained, even though early on, he wished that it went on more often to rid him of his depression. He did not pressure her, though and continued to go with her flow for their little game.

The game started rather simply. Vivian would pretend to be focusing on her work while showing off her legs or some other attention-grabbing piece of her curvy anatomy. James would be pretending to do the same while eyeing whatever it was that she was showing off, like her legs right now.

The blonde robotics' expert just wanted a little attention and some sign that she was still worth looking at. After all, sometimes, she seriously felt like she was not worthwhile. She had it embedded in her mind that if she was desirable, then her girlfriend would not cut out on her so often due to various calls from her office. It hurt her just thinking about some of the times that Betty would dash out on her, like when they were out to dinner or when they were sleeping in the middle of the night and worst of all was when they were making love. Yes, Betty had actually run out on her once when they were making love. It was understandably quite the blow to her self-esteem.

Vivian often wondered if Betty cared about her at all considering some of the times that the brunette ran out on her. It hurt worse than having a million paper-cuts when the one-eyed woman abandoned her. She seriously felt abandoned, like a kitten in the gutter, when Betty left sometimes. It was like shredding her heart when the person that she loved so deeply could not stay with her for romantic evenings. For example, after she had taken the time out of her day to make a wonderful dinner from the bottom of her heart, only for Betty to leave before taking a bite because someone at the office was calling for whatever reason. The pain was so all encompassing that Vivian felt physically burdened by it. Her heart ached and she felt like she wanted to cry; actually, there were times when she did weep over it. She just wanted the pain to go away and it did when played this game.

Things did not happen as often as they might seem with Vivian in regards to her and her significant other. She understood for the most part that Betty had a very important job and sometimes the one-eyed woman needed to get to the office, or needed to just run out because of an emergency. It was just that the wounds from the running added up after a while and she needed some sort of relief. Doctor Possible was that relief; he was that reassurance that she was actually worthwhile. He was her painkiller.

"Doctor Porter," James said suddenly, finally tearing his eyes away from her fine lower limbs to see into her sapphire blue eyes.

"Yes?" Vivian replied, turning to look directly at him. He was situated across the small room from her at the other desk. They both actually had their own offices and labs, but they worked in the little office together just for the companionship and, of course, to play their game.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind checking my math on this. It's not coming out the way I thought it would," he requested, sounding as normal as ever while he held up the notes that he was supposed to be going over.

"Sure," she answered in her usual chipper voice. She even wore her usual bright smile while responding.

James pushed himself up from his plush leather chair and the few feet across the office seemed like miles. It gave him time to ask himself the usual questions that came up when things started their typical progression. Why was he doing this? Why would he not stop? It was so easy to turn around and sit back down, so why did he not do that? Why did he keep going?

The answers were there, but it seemed that they were not very satisfying for him to discontinue his deeds. He knew that he loved his wife very deeply and would hate to lose her, especially because of something so immoral and yet, he did not stop. He knew that Ann did not think that he was an old man and she was still very much attracted to him, yet that did not stop him. He was even aware that being depressed about his age was childish and even irrational, but he was still depressed about it. He did not know why that was and he continued on, as always, as if the weight of his actions turned into some leisurely work that he could put off working on for the time being.

He felt like a fool for doing something that seemed so obviously stupid. He loved his wife, but he did what he did. He could lose her because of an irrational emotion and an insane "cure," but he kept going. His actions obviously bothered him, echoing in his mind through out the journey, but he did not stop. That had to be the act if a fool, right?

People thought that he was so smart, a genius many would say, but there he was doing something stupid and borderline insane, James thought. After all, only the insane did something over and over again expecting different results, although he was not really expecting different results. He was dreading different results because if something out of the norm occurred, it could mean that they would get caught.

The rocket scientist often worried that one-day he would be found out. He wondered, what would become of him if he was found out? Well, Ann would more than likely divorce him. He hated to even think about what the kids would think if they knew. He did not even think about his reputation because of the horror that went through him just knowing that Ann and the kids would be lost to him. He could lose everything and, yet, he pressed on, moving forward to his possible destruction and loving it like a choice wine. He wondered if the person that coined the phrase "like a moth to a flame" had been in a similar predicament because he was certain that one day he was going to be burnt to a crisp and it was only a matter of time.

James was not the only one feeling as if one day the flames of Hell would be knocking; Vivian was definitely of like mind on that one. Her girlfriend dealt in intelligence gathering and was no idiot. One day Betty was going to figure out what was going down and Vivian was so certain that she was going to know the true meaning of pain on that day. She was not looking forward to that day's arrival. Still, she did not halt the motions that she and James had started. Right now, she needed some attention, some assurance, or she was going to implode in on herself. Or she was going to explode, which would be directed right at Betty. That would only drive the one-eyed woman away, as her temper often did, and she did not want any part of that right now.

The blonde asked herself why she and James did what they did? It seemed so stupid to her if she looked at it logically and she knew that it seemed that way to him. They should have to turn in their degrees for what they were doing, probably even their high school diplomas. They were just being plain insane by doing the same terrible actions over and over again, even though they knew it was wrong and parts of them did not even want to do it. They just wished that those parts would expand or speak louder to get them to seriously stop. She doubted that either of them would lament if they lost the thing that they had right now, but they did not give it up so easily.

James finally got to the desk that Vivian was parked at; it seemed like it took him hours to get there. In all of that time, they both noted how they could have stopped the wheels that they were putting into motion. All it would have taken was a word from either of them and the little game could have been put to a halt right then and there, not just that one time, but altogether. They could have ended, but no one bothered to push that button. It was so sad, they both thought.

James placed down the paper that he had been working on, putting it on the smooth desk near Vivian's notes. Vivian turned her attention to the paper rather than to James, which he expected of her. She looked down at his work, so close to hers that she could see the contrast in their handwriting styles. He had what she considered a typical "boy" handwriting while she had a typical "girl" handwriting. Now, if only they were a typical boy and girl with typical willpower to just put an end to things before they ruined their lives, a voice in the back of her mind commented. She ignored that.

He stood behind her for a moment before leaning down where his mouth was on level with her ear. He got a strong whiff of her perfume, which she had dabbed on that morning with the hope of getting her girlfriend's attention. It was a pleasant smell that he failed to notice that she wore often; it tended to get better results than it had that morning. James did not pay it too much mind either, not swayed by the flowery scent because he was used to raspberries, which was the fragrance that Ann wore. He then brought his arm around the blonde scientist to point to the paper and direct her to where he was having "problems."

"See, the math just isn't working out here," he said in a whispered tone while moving his finger over the crisp sheet of paper.

"I don't know why. The numbers look right," she replied, still focusing at the paper.

"They don't add up, though," he stated, moving a bit closer to her ear to the point where she could feel his warm breath on her sensitive skin.

"I see that…" Vivian trailed off as she felt his lips brush across the shell of her ear. A small shiver of delight raced through her body. Her nerves had wanted such attention for a few days now. It was nice that someone had time for her.

"What do you think I should do?" he asked curiously, as if he was confused. It was all part of the little game, though. He pressed his face into her neck ever so slightly while putting his free hand to her shoulder.

"Hmm…probably try a different equation for this setup," she answered while leaning into his rather gentle touch. Her girlfriend was gentle with her most of the time, but she never compared the two because there was nothing to compare. Betty's touch was like true heaven to her while James' touch was more akin to soft sheets against her flesh, down to earth and nothing extraordinary.

"A different equation?" he echoed, nipping at her neck, but making sure not use much pressure. He knew that she had someone at home, just like he did, and he did not desire to get her into any trouble with that someone. "Like what?" he asked while noting that she tasted like she smelled, like honeysuckle.

"Hmm…" Vivian seemed to think on the question, or actually what was buried underneath the question. God, they were such nerds, she thought for a brief moment before getting back to the project at hand. "Try fractions," she answered, still playing their game.

"Fractions it is," he agreed. Yeah, they were definitely nerds.

James spun Vivian around in her black, leather swivel chair and captured her mouth with his own. The kiss was nothing to write home about, no spark and did not transcend the physical touch that they knew a kiss could. All the kiss did was tell that them that the person that they were kissing was not their love, but the person that was there and proclaimed their existence in a way that only this extremely wrong thing that they were doing did. The kiss told them that they were alive and they mattered to someone enough for them to do something so wrong. The worst of it was that they mattered to someone that they really should not need to matter to, but like always, they continued on.

Vivian stood up to avoid hurting their necks while they did a deed that they hated themselves for. There was little excuse for their actions, they both believed. A midlife crisis with some depression? So what? A twinge of lonely ache? Yeah, and? They were fully aware that they should deal with those issues rather than drown them out by indulging themselves in temptations and temporary solutions, yet they continued on with the latter rather than the former.

For nerds, they certainly betrayed their intelligence at times like this, they thought. Not that their intelligence was the only thing wrapped up in their traitorous actions. They could be throwing their lives away. So, why go on, they often demanded to know mentally. They went on because it felt like a cure, but really all it happened to be was a treatment for the symptoms of a disease, not the actual cure of the disease. One day, they needed to stop and do things right or they were certain that they were going to die from their sickness.

James moved forward a bit, backing Vivian up onto the desk. She sat down, feeling the cool, polished wood against her bare legs. He held onto her waist with one hand to make sure that she did not slip off of the smooth surface while they kept their heated kiss going. He was so thoughtful, she noted mentally because of the way that he made sure she was secure. Why was he doing such a thing when he was such a wonderful man? She did not have an answer for that, but then again, she did not consider herself to be too bad of a person and yet there she was performing right along with him. Sometimes, he would wonder why such a beautiful blonde who could obviously have any man that she wanted seemed to desire him.

They never told each other their reasons for why they were doing such things and they damn sure did not ask. They actually thought it would be mean of them to share the fact that they were using the other. Sometimes they were fairly certain that the less they knew, the better it would be. After all, they already knew that they were both potential home-wreckers, even if they were having help in the area. It was still a daunting thing for rather kindhearted people such as themselves to think that they had set themselves up to ruin lives without an ounce of consideration. They had to be horrible people, they thought of themselves. Oddly enough, they both still saw the other as rather pure and decent individual, despite the fact that it took two consenting parties to do what they were doing.

They pulled away from each other for a moment to catch their breath. They both made it a point not to look at each other in that moment. For some reason, they both felt like if they looked at each other, the guilt would smash into them with the same force of a high-speed train. Instead, they looked off to the side while taking in their air and then they went into from some more unfulfilling kisses. The embraces might not mean anything, but they did affirm things for James that he was not old and Vivian was getting the attention that she craved so desperately.

Vivian reached down for James' belt and undid the buckle before doing the same to the button on his trousers. She pushed his pants down while his hands wandered to the inside of her skirt to rid her plain cotton panties; she was not inclined to wear any type of sexy lingerie for him. That was something that was only done for Betty and since Betty had cut out on her that morning, she had changed what she was wearing underneath her provocative outfit. He did not even get to see Vivian nude actually. They only did such things as fully clothed as possible and it had nothing to do with the fact that they only did it at work. She just could not, would not, show her body completely to anyone but Betty now. If only Betty had time to look, she silently lamented.

Her mind went blank as James slid into her. His mind was not afforded many thoughts either at the moment, except proving to himself that he was not an old man. He hoped that would chase away his depression for good, even though it had not done that yet. Vivian almost clung to him, but pulled back. She did not want to press against him because he was not Betty. He would rather that she was not close to him since she was not his precious Ann. By the end of it, they could only tell themselves that it was all just a phase and they would soon be out of it. The midlife crisis would pass and one day Betty would be there for her entirely. They just had to wait it out together until that day came and then they could stop playing their game.

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Next time: Monique and Felix can't seem to get their act together.


	5. Miscommunication

I don't own these characters.

5: Miscommunication

Monique was bored. Well, not really bored; that was just a code that she used when feeling a certain way. She wanted to see a certain someone and she was pretty sure that person would only show up if she claimed that she was bored. She tried to hold off for as long as she could, but she wanted to see him now and to see him, she had to claimed boredom.

Labeling things as being "bored" was also a way to keep Monique from thinking about her true feelings, which went way beyond the relief of her "boredom." She tried not to think about what was really going on inside of her since she doubted that she could do anything about it. So, in her opinion, it was better to just think of herself as "bored" and what being "bored" entailed. She could do something about being "bored," after all; she could see _him _and a little bit more. She wanted so desperately to see him now, no matter what the circumstances.

The fashion-conscious diva was yearning and had been for days now, but she was attempting to fight against it. She was slowly, but surely losing the battle if her growing "boredom" was any indication of things. She was starting to feel restless without his presence, so she guessed that she was just going to have to let him know that she was "bored." She wished that she could just tell him that she wanted to see him since that was what her entire essence was now practically begging for, but that was not how things went with them.

Monique really did not want to go through the routine again, but the deep longing to be near him that was inside of her was growing wider and deeper than the Grand Canyon with every passing second. It almost made her feel anxious, her heart speeding up, as if he was going to be there when she had not even called him yet. The intense yearning was swirling around the pit of her stomach and churning up such great discomfort that she believed if she did not see him soon, she would be physically ill. She could not take the empty, hollowed-out feeling in her soul anymore. So, she needed to at least be around him.

The usually strong-willed woman reached for the phone, even though she wanted to hold out. She did not want to go through it all again, but if she did not see him soon, hear him soon, kiss him soon, then she would go mad from his absence. She just wanted to look into his beautiful blue eyes, even if they held no real affection for her. She thought about his touch, so gentle and seemingly close to caring, even though he did not need to be; she did delight in the fact that he was those things. Surely those things helped add to the feelings that she did not want to think about, the feelings that she was so certain that she could do nothing about. She needed him around in some shape or she felt like she was going to have a complete and total breakdown soon. So, she called him and wasted no time going through the motions that she had been so desperately attempting to avoid.

"Hey, I'm bored," she simply said as a greeting.

"I can come over right now and do something about that."

"I'd like that," she practically purred like a content kitten. She would like so much more, but she dared not speak such a thing. She had to take what she could get, not drive him away with talks that he did not seem to want to hear.

The line went dead as soon as those words left Monique's mouth. Apparently, he was going to rush right over. She did not look at his eagerness in a good light for the most part, believing that he was just running over because he thought that she was easy or something like that. At least she had something that he liked, she pessimistically figured, even though she would like to be more to him than an event. She supposed that it said something that he never called her stating that he was "bored." Maybe he had a little respect for her, she considered; it could just as easily be misplaced hope, her mind countered to add to her usual doubt. He could just feel himself to be a man performing a service and therefore he did not have to call her, like a cable-man never called after fixing the television. Instead of getting money, he got…well, her in a manner that he seemed quite content with. There was always the chance that he just thought that she was a slut.

A pain shot through her like being struck by lightning, a common occurrence when Monique figured that he probably considered her a slut. Considering how she treated him, calling him only when she was "bored," it would be an understandable conclusion to draw. But, it would be rather false in her opinion. She did not get "bored" for anyone but him, after all. She just never said that, like a lot of other things. They never talked much, which was a pain in and of itself.

They never really talked much in the beginning when they met, which happened to be through mutual friends. She felt like they could have been great friends, maybe even more, if they had tried. He never really seemed too interested in her, though and she tried to act aloof to avoid embarrassing herself. It was about that time that she figured out that she was crushing; she hated crushing. She acted so stupid when she was crushing, like her best friend actually, and by trying to keep that in check, she painted herself into a peculiar little corner that allowed her to call him when she was "bored," but did not allot her courage to ask him out on a date or even to just hang out.

Monique recalled that she had been caught off guard by a boyish smile that he got right before laughing, and he did plenty of laughing considering who his best friend was. Once she was trapped with that, she had to find out that he was smart to go along with cute. And to top matters off, he was fun to be around, even though she never had a chance to truly enjoy that back then because she had been trying her best not to act like a moron around him. She mostly could see that he was fun from the way that he ran around with Ron. He was the perfect guy and the more that she noticed that, the more her crushing grew into something deeper. Unfortunately her behavior never changed and he never seemed interested in her, so now they were where they were and that was only thanks to a drunken party that got way out of control. Apparently, when it came to him, she could only get her courage out of a bottle.

Monique decided to not dwell on things or she would only end up getting depressed. After all, thinking about missed chances and cowardice that persisted to that day was nothing to think about now that she was finally going to see him. She should be happy that he was on his way. She was taking what she could get, which was better than getting nothing at all and just feeling empty all of the time. Maybe she could go a little above and beyond, but not too much to where she scared him off. She did not want things to be too out of the norm that he might find himself uncomfortable when he came in. So, she tried to think of some small thing that she could do that she usually would not when he was coming around. Well, maybe she could straighten up a bit because that might not even catch his eye, she thought. He might not think anything of it, which would actually bother her.

She wanted him to notice her in some way beyond their usual scheme. If only he could see how much that she had to offer, she liked to believe that he would finally take a real notice of her and a true interest in her. Maybe then, he would hopefully make a move and get her out of her perpetual stupor, her cowardly behavior that damn near disgusted her. She was not a coward, she hollered in her head. And then she shook that away to avoid bothering herself.

The wavy-haired female looked around her quaint one bedroom apartment, cleaning would not only show a small effort, but also keep her mind off of some rather awful thoughts that she needed to be having. It was hard to tell that there was a plush baby blue carpet on the floor considering the fact that she had clothes littering the place. She was not dirty, but had a habit of just throwing her clothes anyway after coming in from work. She grabbed her small, tan, plastic hamper and began gathering up her dirty laundry to get that in its proper place. Once her floor was visible again, she decided to take a vacuum to it.

"The place should look a little nice for him…" Monique commented to the air. It might raise his opinion or her or something. She was not sure, but she was going to keep cleaning now that she started.

Monique often knew that she was acting irrational or even silly when it came to him. There was no method to her madness, she thought. She just wanted to keep bad thoughts away now and she wanted him to figure out that she was worthwhile beyond their typical dance. She wanted him to see her for more than what they did without getting frightened away, thinking that she was trying to take more from him than he was willing to give her.

She opened her windows to air the place out and also lit an incense, which she did not plan to keep burning for too long. She did not want her home to smell like sandalwood when he showed up because she thought that a lingering pleasant aroma might imply something more than what they had planned and she did not to give off that idea because it might scare him off. After all, he never really showed an interest in exploring anything more than their current routine. She did not want him to think that she was trying to set the scene or the mood or anything since they never did have a simply romantic encounter.

Monique considered, as she often did, changing into something a bit more flattering. She was wearing a ripped, sleeveless, white tee-shirt and some raggedy midnight blue shorts that stopped mid-thigh; both items far from sexy, even though they showed off much of her soft, chocolate skin. She would like to show him that she could be sexy, especially for him, but she did not want to seem too over the top. She did not want to seem like she wanted more of his attention, which she thought that sexy clothing would imply. She did not want it to seem like she wanted more from him since he did not seem to want to deliver.

The coffee-eyed young woman considered that something was wrong with her because of the way that she behaved when it came to him. She knew that it was her feelings that ruined her thoughts. Everything seemed so illogical and wrong, as if her common sense abandoned her in all regards when the mere thought of him entered her head. After all, if her common sense remained, she would have long ago decided that this was no way to live. She was disrespecting herself by behaving in such a way, but she did not stop because she wanted him close in whatever form that she could get. But, the stupid thing was that she never tried for more out of fear that it would drive him away. If he left her, she would always feel that yearning, which she would not be able to take.

She was taken from her jumbled thoughts as there was a knock on her door. Wow, that was quick, she thought. She went to blow out the incense stick that was burning and then rushed to the door, although she did not open it immediately, not wanting to seem eager about his arrival. She asked who was there after a few seconds of decidedly silly silence, even though she knew who it was. She opened the door after he answered, turning the tumbler top lock and then the lock on the doorknob before yanking the white-painted, metallic apartment door open.

"Hey," Felix said with a controlled smile when his knock-out former classmate was revealed to him. He was fighting not to grin and show off his extreme joy with the fact that she finally contacted him. It had been weeks since she called, complaining of "boredom." He waited patiently, wanting desperately to see her at least, but daring not to call her because that would be against their usual routine. He feared that going against their norm would drive her away. His greatest fear was to do something that would prompt her to never call him again.

Felix liked Monique, despite the fact that she seemed to be using him. Back when Kim and Ron first introduced them, he took in the fact that Monique was cute. He also noticed that she was intelligent and fun, mostly through her interactions with Kim since she never showed much interest in him. He tried a couple of times to approach her, but every time he did, Ron came out of nowhere with something to do or Kim would pull Monique away with something to do. After a while, he decided to take the hint that she was not into him, but some part of him did not seem to listen. He continued to like her, even after claiming to take the hint, but he did not try to get her to take much notice of him. He liked her enough to disrespect himself and let her use him when she was "bored." He took her "boredom" in a different way than she actually meant it because she never explained what she meant.

"I guess you were bored too since you got here so fast," Monique remarked casually, smirking as if she was amused. It was a good front because underneath it all, she was silently begging that he come in and never leave.

"Nothing better to do," he replied nonchalantly with a shrug to further push his lie. He wished that he could have flown there when they hung up from their brief phone call. She did not know what she did to him, he thought. He felt like he would walk again upon her command if it would only bring her closer to him.

"Get in here," she playfully commanded him, pointing to the interior of the apartment with her thumb.

Felix obeyed with a smile on his face, looking amused, but feeling quite differently. He wished that there were more to his visit than their usual song and dance. He wished that they could at least change the song; he did like the dance after all. He just wanted things to go differently between them because he wanted there to be more between them than what happened as am accident. It was a good accident because it did get her to finally notice him. He just wanted her to notice more of him.

He would have liked for them to have corrected the little accident that they had almost a year ago at a party. Instead, they seemed to repeat the accident since she seemed to like it. He delighted in making her happy, but he wanted something more fulfilling with her. He was not too sure on how to go about that since she seemed content with the way that things were.

The brunette young man glanced around the apartment a bit, trying not to be too obvious about it for some reason that was beyond him. Maybe it was just nervousness on his part, fearing that Monique might think he was acting peculiar. It seemed that they were both a bit irrational, thinking that the smallest things would be looked at as weird and would send the other running for the hills.

He noted the faint scent of sandalwood lingering in the air, which had a bit of a soothing affect on his torn emotions toward his hostess. But, the scent brought out more longing underneath all of his feelings at the same time. How he wished that he had been there earlier to enjoy the scent when it was fresh, to have seen what Monique used to get the fragrance wafting through her home, to have been able to help in the effort to make the place smell as it did. He wished that he could just be in the apartment with no purpose whatsoever except to relax with a wonderful woman who did not seem to want him beyond their current entanglement.

Felix did note that the apartment was just a little cleaner than usual. He wondered if it was because of his visit; he could be hoping for too much though, his mind had no problem pointing out. He felt flattered by the thought of Monique straightening up for him because it somehow showed that she cared more than just their situation seemed to show, but that probably was not the case, he told himself. He moved on quickly though because he did not want it to seem like he was acting strange. He did not want to do anything that might put her off and get him kicked out.

Monique watched Felix as he went directly to the bedroom, as always. She sighed; it was very low to make sure that he did not hear her sound of despair. If only he knew just what he did to her, she thought while locking the front door again. If only he knew that if he talked to her for a few minutes as if they were friends, it would make her week, maybe even her year. She shook the thoughts away, feeling that she did not have time to have an internal monologue or she would be standing there all day. She then followed slowly behind him, giving him a chance to set himself up.

Felix was in the bedroom, leaning down to untie his shoes and pulling those off before pushing himself out of his chair and moving onto the bed with the aid of the nightstand. The bed was made, which was typical of her room. He lay down on the top of the comfortable, teal-colored spread. The mattress below him barely made a displeased sound as he moved onto it, as if it was telling him to get off and do something differently to stop the cycle. He did not listen and just continued on. He leaned his back and head onto the matching pillows that were at the head of the bed. He then waited for her like always and tried his best not to let his thoughts wander. He failed.

He rubbed his smooth chin while thinking about how happy he would be if he could just rest in the bed one day. He would not have to do anything, just be able to lay there for the whole day and be lazy. Maybe he could cuddle Monique, but nothing more than that. It would be such a fulfilling moment for him. He would be able to hold onto the woman that captured his soul so long ago.

Felix felt like he was chasing the sun with Monique, a life giving star that was only going to burn him in the end if he ever caught her since he believed that she did not feel the same about him as he did her. He would not mind such a death, assuming he would get to let her know his actual feelings before he was burnt to a crisp. He shook the thoughts away when his hostess appeared before him.

Monique seemed to materialize in the room as far as Felix was concerned, suddenly appearing on his lap as if she knew magic it seemed. He was not going to complain if she did appear out of thin air or if she did know magic. He knew that she enchanted him and that was all that mattered.

Monique liked her current seat and thought about what it would like to be able to sit there other times rather than just on the bed. She bet that watching television on his lap would be quite relaxing. She would cuddle up to his chest, breathe in his strong, wonderful scent, and it would be nice for him to wrap his arm around her waist, securing her in place. But, that was wishful thinking as far as she was concerned.

Felix looked up at her while Monique looked down at him, earth meeting sky, true intentions buried so deep that all the other could see was a sparkle in them, which was only the tip of the iceberg. To make things worse, they both assumed that sparkle was merely lust. As enjoyable as it was to be physically desired as they were by the other, how their hearts cried out for more, but neither heard the desperate cries.

"You're so sexy," Felix whispered with awe in his voice to the goddess on his lap, hoping that the tone was not crossing the imaginary line that existed in their minds. He wished that he could tell her how beautiful he believed she was and that he thought she was a goddess, but that would go way beyond the routine. He could not change the song out of fear, but his heart clenched painfully in his chest for not telling his real feelings.

Monique only smirked, looking even sexier in Felix's opinion. Although she did have a predatory cat look going on and the expression probably would have made him nervous anywhere else. Still, at the moment, she was just plain sexy and the definition of beautiful to him.

Monique did enjoy when the brunette young man complimented her, even if it was something generic and something that she doubted. How could she be sexy considering the outfit that she had on? She did not care and did not analyze the compliment. She was just going to accept it because it came from him.

"You're too cute," she decided to say, sounding as if she was teasing, but she meant it. He was more than cute. He was like a handsome prince to her and she wanted to let him know that, but her mouth could not utter that sentence. He might think that she was getting clingy or something like that, she thought, and she did not want to fathom what might happen if he figured that she was getting clingy.

Felix smiled, once again it was a controlled expression because he did not want to seem like he was overeager. Monique leaned down and kissed him, which he returned. It was hard for them to just enjoy the embrace, though; much like their time together. They could not get fully into the kiss, even though they would love to just lose themselves in each other. They could not get very into anything around each other, always consciously restraining themselves to avoid scaring off the other.

They both believed that they had to be very conscious of what they were doing when they kissed because neither of them wanted their true affections to sneak into the embrace. God, how they both wished that they could show the other all of the passion that they had for the other, but they just did not want to risk it. So, what others might perceive as simple activities like exchanging a kiss was actually a draining, torturous exercise for them, although it was equally fulfilling.

While cautiously kissing each other, almost driving each other mad for want of putting more into the kiss, they worked each other out of their clothing. It took Monique longer to do so than Felix since she had to get him out of street clothes, but he was thankfully wearing a plain, long sleeve shirt; it was nice outside, but not enough for a tee-shirt. She made rather quick work of the shirt, wanting to see him and feel him, not caring if it made her look eager. He was the same way, actually tearing her shirt a bit when ripping it off of her; she just did not notice because of her own task. He did not think too much of his actions once he freed her from the shirt.

Felix exhaled loudly when Monique was bare from the waist up. No matter how many times he got to see her, he was certain that the sight would always amaze and impress him. He wanted to tell her that, but kept all verbal homage to himself. Instead, he indulged his hands by reaching out and caressing her; the touch was a mix between tender and fervent, which came from how he wanted to worship her, but also from the fact that it had been so long since he last got to touch her.

Monique whimpered into his mouth as Felix manipulated her sensitive skin. She pulled away from his lips to just appreciate the ecstasy brought on by his incredible touch before leaning down to kiss him again. She went back to trying to get him out of his shirt while he continued deeply caressing her magnificent flesh.

Her hands began wandering his powerful chest when she got his shirt off. His torso was smooth while being cut with muscles. She traced almost every line with her fingertips. She wanted to pull away from him and trail kisses all over his body, but she was not sure if they had time for something like that. She did not know when he needed to leave; her mind did not bother to point out he never seemed in a hurry to get out when their dance was done.

She eventually made it to removing his pants and her own shorts. He watched her for a moment as she covered him to insure that there would be no unforeseen mistakes and then she was looming over him again. They both threw their heads back and growled a bit when she impaled herself upon him. They both also thanked whatever divine being that existed that Felix still functioned to allow them to be joined, even though an accident from a long time ago had taken his legs from him as far as walking was concerned.

He gripped her thighs as she rolled her hips, causing them both to moan. His hands wandered her nude form in great appreciation while she worked above him, leaving him thinking that she was sating her "boredom" when in fact she had ceased to be "bored" the second that she opened the front door and let him into her home. She felt like softest silk, so precious and wonderful to him. He wished that he could touch her like that forever and always. She wished that she could feel his hands on her for the same amount of time because it felt like he was paying her devotion with his lovely touches.

At the height of it all, they both had the same thought, which they believed to be very wrong. They often wished to discover that the condom broke, only because it would give them an excuse to talk to each other beyond the usual act. Sure, it would be an awkward conversation, but they would be talking to each other. They did not want anything physical to come from such an accident as they were well aware that they were not ready to be parents, but they were dying for a reason to just talk to each other. Even if it was just to weigh the possibilities of a pregnancy or for them both to discover that they were quite clean, so they did not have to worry about diseases. They just wanted to talk to the other in some form beyond the script of their little song and dance. Maybe something could come from a little conversation, no matter what the topic.

Monique collapsed on top of Felix, both of them breathing as if they had run a marathon. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her in a loving manner. He could only met himself halfway though, embracing her, but making it seem like he just wanted to secure her in place so that she did not fall. She flinched slightly at the surprising hug.

"Oh, my god, he's holding me!" Monique declared jubilantly in her mind, even though she tensed for a just a second because he surprised her with the move.

Felix noticed that Monique had tensed for that brief moment and his heart sank deeper into his unfulfilled love that was covered with hurt and agony. He thought that she had flinched because she did not like the new move, so he removed his hands. He nearly pouted from the fact that he believed that she did not want to be held by him.

The coffee-eyed female held in a sorrowful whimper that wanted so badly to escape her clenching throat when Felix's hands left her. She had dared to hope that he would hold her and she would have happily returned the favor while resting on top of him, but it would seem that he was not interested in doing so and she was not going to chase him away by embracing him. She moved off of him, setting to the empty space on the bed. They just lay there in silence for a very long moment.

Monique deeply desired to tell Felix that she loved him, but instead she said, "Thanks for that."

Felix would have responded that he loved her too if she had made that declaration. His real response was, "Anytime, babe," in a smooth tone, almost making light of their situation. It was the same song and dance as always.

How cruel, they both thought. They were mere inches from the person that they loved, but it felt like light years and they suspected that it would always feel like that. They both could only wonder if they would always be cowards. Would they always fear chasing the other one way? Would they always be stuck longing, hurting, and only be able to see each other due to a misunderstood call of boredom? It was just no way to live and they both knew that.

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Next time: Justine and…Brick Flagg??? How does that even work?


	6. Nothing but mammals

I don't own these characters. I don't own Volkswagen either.

6: Nothing but mammals

Justine pulled into a parking spot while trying not to think too hard on what she was about to do. She actually hated herself for what she was planning to do, for what she had done in the past. She felt like her actions had to be a sign of self-loathing too. Maybe it was a side effect to being a self-absorbed genius, which she knew she was, or maybe she felt like she needed something that marred her perfection, which she believed she was. There had to be some explanation for her impending mistake; she was sure of that.

"I've got to be out of my mind…" the blonde woman said to the air while shaking her head. She sighed a bit.

She could not help asking herself: how insane did one have to be to willing commit such a heinous mistake? And it was not even her first time doing it. She had made the mistake many times before and would continue to do so in the future because every now and then, the urge hit her like every other human being on the planet. If someone ever found out what she was doing, surely she would be sent away in a padded room, locked in the tightest straitjacket, and subjected to a lifetime worth of electroshock therapy, which she might even welcome. It might help her be able to rationalize things, although she did have her mistake all mapped out in her head and believed that she did need what she was about to do.

"It's only natural," Justine muttered to herself, trying to motivate herself into moving forward. "So, get out of the car," she ordered herself, but she was not making a move to obey.

The genius was now sitting in her car outside of a raggedy motel room. Her face was slightly tense, matching the rest of her body and state of being, which was part of the reason for her being there in the first place. Her sky-colored eyes were locked on the red door with chipped paint while she was still gripping her black leather steering wheel, as if she was not going to get out when she knew that she was.

She had driven all that way, so of course she was going to get out of the car. She just needed to get her head together in order to do it, as she often had to. What she was going to do was slightly overwhelming because it felt like she was degrading herself, even though she did not put up with things. It was just the action itself. God, she was Justine Flanner, one of, if not the best scientific mind in the country and there she was sitting in her little aqua blue Volkswagen Beetle, looking at a cheap, little motel in the middle of woods, which were in the middle of nowhere themselves. She had to be out of her mind, she told herself again.

"Just pick up your self-respect and go get what you want to get it out of the way. You won't have to worry about it for a while now after that," Justine told herself with some grit in her voice. It was almost like she was talking about a dentist appointment, but no, her meeting would be a bit more intrusive than that.

She glanced to the right of her to see the black SUV that was parked near her. She knew that car. She was not surprised to see the vehicle. She took a deep breath and picked up her resolve. This was her decision and she knew that deep down in a pit that she did not like acknowledging, she knew that she wanted to get out of the car, go into that room, and be her usual catty self while getting what she desired. She took another deep breath, steeling herself, and she rested her hand on the car door. All right, it was time to get out.

She exited her car, locking it with the electronic device on her key ring, and then she proceeded to the room door. She stopped for a moment, as if hesitating, but then she continued on at a snail's pace. She did not have to worry about being quick because she doubted anyone that knew who she was or knew her personally would be around such a remote area. Even if there were people that she knew creeping about the place, she suspected that they would be doing something similar to what she was, so she doubted that they were going to make their presence known to her. She rapped lightly on the broken-down door, which was opened immediately. She pushed her way inside and quickly shut the door behind her, just in case there were prying eyes somewhere in that wooded area. She would rather not lower anyone's opinion of her if there was someone that knew her there.

"Whoa, you look wicked hot," the lone occupant of the room commented when he caught sight of her in one of her typical knee-length sundresses, which was a light blue. It was a certain blonde football player by the name of Brick Flagg, who looked almost the same as he did in high school. He was taller and wider now than in high school, which was expected since he still played football.

"What have I said about you talking?" Justine snapped, annoyed with him instantly, which was not surprising. His very existence on the planet bothered her and she was pretty certain that she knew why.

No one on Earth should be so aptly named in her opinion. No one on Earth should be allowed to be that stupid, she thought as she looked at Brick. She sighed to herself; he actually looked stupid and was dumber than he looked. It was so amazing that she almost wished that she could study him in the name of science to save other people from suffering such fates. But, to do such a thing, she would have to be around him more often and she was fairly certain that such a thing would be hazardous to her health, especially her mental wellbeing. Being around him for about an hour once a month proved rather painful, after all. So, why did she do it to herself? She did not know exactly, but was well aware that she would end up thinking on it as always while she was with him.

Brick did not seem affected by Justine's attitude. She doubted that he even noticed her snippy nature with the way that he tolerated her. The dumb brute, she thought with a scowl on her face; she actually looked disgusted with him. The fact that he was smiling slightly did not help change her mind; god, he was such a moron, she commented in her head. He was probably just glad that he was about to get laid, which was the case. He was glad that he was about to get laid and, yes, he was about to get laid.

"Strip already," Justine ordered impatiently with an almost violent sweep of her hand in Brick's direction.

The scientist tapped her foot lightly against the rough, thin carpet on the floor; she could almost feel the concrete that the rug sat on top of. Her scowl only deepened with every millisecond that went by and he just looked at her like the big, dumb monkey that she swore he was. She did not have time to wait around for him being stupid. She had other things that she needed to get through in the day. Her life did not revolve around him, after all.

Brick seemed to not understand the command, as if he had not been through the routine countless times before. It was almost like he did not even hear what she said. He continued on smiling; it would have been seen as a cute, swoon-inducing expression by most other girls. She actually thought the smile just advertised that there was space to rent right between his ears.

He decided to keep on with his compliments because he knew that females liked to hear nice things, which only further proved his ignorance as far as Justine was concerned. Yes, girls liked to hear nice things, from guys that they liked and she did not like him in any sense of the word. He was the very definition of stupid and rather untrustworthy while being a pig-headed brute. She wanted one thing from him and one thing only and she hated that he was delaying it by being a fool.

"Your hair looks great that way," Brick said with what usually was viewed as a charming smile. He flashed his teeth, which seemed to sparkle, even in the dull light of the room. She was not impressed.

"This is the way I always wear it," Justine replied through gritted teeth while making a fist. Her nails bit into her palms for a moment until she released her balled up fist.

If Brick did not shut up and strip right now, Justine was going to have to change the game plan by tying him to the bed and just leaving him there. Sure, she would go unsatisfied as far as her craving went if she tied him up and left, but she would feel a lot better about herself knowing that he would be lying, helpless, and trapped in the room until a maid found him. She could picture him now, thinking they were playing some kind of kinky game and actually wondering when she was going to come back; how priceless. The thought itself was enough to put a smile on her face, but she held that in. The idea did stay on her mind, just in case he continued to be irksome.

"Now, get out of your clothes," Justine commanded, her voice telling him that she was not going to repeat herself.

Brick was actually accustomed to getting bossed around by the two constant females in his life, Justine being one and Bonnie Rockwaller being the other. Bonnie was more constant than Justine since he only saw the blonde genius about once a month. He did still date Bonnie now that she went to the same college as him; he had gotten in due to his football skill while she had actually had to earn her place by showing that she had a brain hidden underneath her snide, bitchy, self-absorbed attitude.

It did not bother the football player in the slightest that he was cheating on Bonnie, as long as he did not get caught. He was actually under the impression that even if he did get caught, he could talk his way out of it and keep Bonnie as a girlfriend. He felt it was right for him to get laid if girls were throwing themselves at him, which they were at school because he was a decent quarterback, handsome, and quite popular. He looked at all of the girls as a privilege that came with his God given talent and good looks. He was entitled to everything he got, it would seem.

Justine was unaware that Brick had a girlfriend and really she did not care to know. The less that she knew about him the better in her opinion. She would have been surprised to know that a girl would actually try to be in a real relationship with such an idiot asshole. She could not even fathom being around him long enough to be in an outing let alone a relationship.

Instead of running his mouth, Brick did as he was ordered because despite how thick he seemed, he knew from Justine's tone that if he did not do what she said, he would not be getting laid. She and Bonnie were the only two women on the planet that had ever walked away from him when it seemed like they were going to have sex. He did not understand how they managed it because no other female ever did it; other women always seemed so eager to sleep with him. Justine and Bonnie both held little patience from him, even if they were about to have sex, and had no problem with leaving sometimes in the middle of coupling. Maybe it was such perplexing behavior that kept him coming back to them rather than cutting them loose. He just could not believe that they did not desire him so badly that they could walk away with no problem.

Brick was standing in nothing, but his midnight blue boxers in no time. Justine removed her dress, revealing a surprisingly attractive figure underneath it her somewhat childish-looking attire. She also stepped out of her shoes, leaving her nude aside for her socks. She had come prepared to get in and out as soon as possible, so that was why she had the minimum amount of clothing on.

Despite the fact that there was an attractive specimen of the male gender before her, Justine was more worried about what could be crawling on her dress as it rested on the filthy orange carpet of the room floor. It did not matter anyway since she was going to wash it as soon as she got home and then take it to the cleaners to make sure that it was totally clean before she dared to wear it again. Brick was not even thinking about his clothing. The only thing on his mind was getting the scientist in the bed, which she could see in his eyes. He was so transparent that it hurt her sometimes.

Brick gazed at Justine with hunger in his eyes. He desired her; that much was clear. She guessed it was just because she had double X chromosomes. He would probably agree, if he knew what a chromosome was anyway. He did know that he wanted her now and she was well aware of that. She sort of had to prepare herself mentally for that quickly, reminding her that she needed this.

"You really need this," she commented mentally to avoid just cursing him out for being an affront of humanity and leaving.

Now came the bothersome part as far as Justine was concerned. He was going to want to touch her and things. She would prefer that he did not and often made sure he kept his hands to himself. She was not there for affection or foreplay. It was an itch that she needed scratched and she allowed him to do it because he was not as problematic as other guys that she had tried to be with.

Justine did not seem to be built for traditional relationships, mostly because she was highly critical of any man that she dated. She had very high standards since she believed that she was perfect. She figured that she should have the perfect man to compliment her, but she had yet to find such a guy. When she was dating, she eventually came to the conclusion that the man she was dating was beneath her. Typically by that time, he did not want to be around her mind anyway because there was only so much berating one human being could take. Every now and then, she would come across someone that she could stand being around, usually because he understood at least some of her work and respected what she did. But, they would never work out because he would grow weary of being ordered around in every aspect of life, including what they did in the bedroom. Justine did not want to bother with relationships anymore; at least not at the moment. So, now, if she got a little natural urge, she just called Brick, who she had run into somewhere that she could not even recall now.

Hey, Brick listened as best he could and he left after everything was said and done if she told him to. He was someone that she did not feel bad about ignoring and she did not have to make any attempt to get along with him. She could run out on him and it meant nothing to her. Best of all, no matter how badly she treated him, she knew that he would come running if she called him.

There were no attachments between them, no attempt at gaining affections; it was almost like a business transaction that they engaged in. She rather preferred things in such a way; it gave her less to worry about or bother with in life. For him, well, he just liked the fact that she was going to sleep with him.

As expected, Brick stepped over to her in an attempt to touch her. He never learned, she thought with a tired sigh. She slapped his hand away and he had the nerve to look shocked, as if it did not happen every time he went to touch her. She sat down on the bed while making a slightly disgusted face because she did not even want to think of what might be roaming around on the spread. Her flesh was ready to crawl just from being touched by the covers. If she could bathe in bleach when she got home, she would to make sure her skin was clean. He followed her to the bed, apparently remembering their routine now. He was taking too long in her opinion, though.

"Get to it," Justine huffed almost angrily. She really wanted to get matters over with so she could go home and then go back to work. She had been making some great progress in her research in creating large wormholes to allow for space travel over millions of light years. She was having fun with that until her craving overcame her. Damn nature, she cursed mentally.

Brick snorted because of the order; she sure was bossy. Why she and Bonnie never seemed more grateful with being with him was something that was beyond him. Every other girl that he was with was just happy that he was there, knowing that he could be with any other girl that he decided. Justine and Bonnie seemed to think that they were special or something, like he could not go outside right now and pick up five girls to replace either one of them or ten girls to replace both of them. But, of course if it was so simple, he would have done that a long time ago.

Instead, he moved himself to where Justine wanted him to be, having to prepare her somewhat even if she did not want him to touch her. She inhaled sharply when she felt his mouth on her and she sighed as if some great burden was lifted off of her. She threw her head back and just let him work her out, her earlier tension melting from her. She was fine until she felt his big hands gripping her hips and she slapped them off of her body. He huffed into her, not liking the move it would seem. He nipped her in revenge and she growled at him.

"Enough," she ordered. If he were going to get fresh, she would leave right now. It turned out that he did not obey. "Enough," she practically snarled, now angry, even though he was giving her pleasure. She was going to hit him with something if he wanted to be a jackass.

Brick decided against testing her since he was painfully ready for the afternoon's activity. He was not too stupid to forget that she had no problem with leaving him frustrated if he bothered her enough. He pulled away from her while noting that she tasted rather good; it was one of the reasons that he did not mind preparing her in such a way. He stepped out his boxers and was about to dive right in when she stopped him.

"Are you really this stupid?" she inquired rather furious with his impulsiveness. She appeared utterly appalled with what he was about to do.

"What?" he asked in a very baffled tone with an expression to match. What the hell was she going on about now? He just hoped that she got through it quickly before things got any more agonizing for him.

Justine did not bother to respond, figuring his question answered hers. She got up and went into a pocket on her dress and pulled out some protection; she would never count on him to bring something so important. She covered him before they proceeded on, which involved her turning her back to him. She preferred not to face him when it was possible because going face to face showed more intimacy than she shared with him and she would rather he not see her expression. The last thing she wanted was for a self-absorbed idiot to know that he could give her almost unfathomable delight.

Now was the only time that Justine let Brick touch her with his hands. Maybe it was because she could not think enough to knock his big paws away or because he used them to pull her to him with more force. All that could be heard was the rather messy sound of their skin smashing against each other while he grunted as he worked. Justine bit hard into her lip to make sure that she did not make a sound; she did not want him to take away any satisfaction from their encounter aside for what they did physically, so she did not want him to know that he could make her moan. He could almost make her lose her legendary control; she hated that.

She even tried to hold on when she was coming close to the edge. She did not want to lose control, but she needed to. It was the whole reason that she was there; she was scratching her itch. So, instead of completely biting through her bottom lip, she let loose a scream as her head dropped down to the bed and her whole body shuddered with ecstasy. Brick smiled to himself; now that was the effect that he was used to having with women. He was pretty sure that Justine would straighten up when they were done and start being more grateful for his presence. He tended to think that every time that he met up with her.

He was in for quite the surprise when it was all said and done. He figured that they would bask in the afterglow, like other girls liked doing. Instead, Justine pulled herself from the bed just as briskly as she had entered the room. She wasted no time in putting on her clothes while he was sitting on the bed, nude and looking quite puzzled. He did not understand how it was that she was just leaving. He had taken her over the edge at least three times, so he figured that she should be under his spell like every other girl that he had ever slept with.

"How about you stay a little while longer," he suggested with a half-smile that typically made girls melt. Surely that would enough to get her in line, he thought, and then they could go another round.

"I've got things to do today," she replied curtly while straightening out her outfit.

Brick did not seem to expect that answer even though it was the one that she gave every time that they were together and he suggested such a thing. He did not understand; how could she resist him? It just did not make any sense to him.

"How about tomorrow then?" he proposed. Surely she would agree to that, he though. She had to want more of what he gave her.

"I'm busy. I'll call you," she answered in a non-committal tone and exited the room before he could say anything else. She was fine for a while, but someday she was going to get the urge again and have to deal with him again. One day, she was going to have to find someone else that could scratch that itch for her and make her body quiver as if it was electrified to avoid having to deal with Brick's stupidity and arrogance, but until then, he was the only one that could do such a thing and she was going to have to deal with him. She knew that he would always answer the call because he did not seem able to turn down sex; she was right.

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Next time: Bonnie…and well, just wait and see.


	7. The outside looking in

I don't own these characters. I also don't own Star Wars (duh, right?).

7: The outside looking in

The room was so…cute. Oh, she should think that it was geeky; in fact, it was very geeky. It was like a shrine to all that was sci-fi and, in the past, she probably would have dubbed it "nerdy" or something like that with spite in mind and wicked intent, but now all she could do was consider just how cute the whole place was. Even though she could not identify any of the characters, figures, or images around the small dorm room, it did not matter. The place was still, well, cute.

She sat down on the bed, the mattress making a soft noise as she did so. The comfortable bed was covered in a Star Wars' spread. She did not know much about Star Wars because she had never seen the first three, but he had filled her in on it. In fact, she had not even known that there was a "first three" until he mentioned them. He had been expectantly shocked when her expression showed utter confusion upon hearing that there was a first half to the saga. It was then that he urgently went into telling her what he adorably believed to be vital information.

She was surprised to find herself hanging on his ever word when he took the time to explain the incredible series to her. He had been quite enthusiastic as he went through it all, a huge, bright smile on his face, making her think that he was charming…in his own odd way. She smiled, a small, amused expression as he spoke, loving that he obviously was having a good time talking to her. She still did not have a desire to see it, unless he offered and she got to enjoy it with him. Well, she would probably just end up snuggling him to her heart's content, as she had a habit of doing. She would like to do that right now in fact, but he was gone for the moment, having sweetly volunteered to go get her something to eat.

"Such a dear…" she thought to herself, referring to him. She smiled at the thought of him.

While he was gone, she was going to make herself comfortable like always. She checked her makeup to make sure that she still looked stunning, which she did. She did not wear as much makeup as she used to because he told her that she was breathtaking without it; well, those were not his exact words, but she got the gist of what he had been fumbling through as he spoke. He was so adorable when he stammered through things like that, especially when he was complimenting her.

She made him nervous much of the time, she knew that, just like he knew that there was no reason to be nervous around her, yet he still was. She often smiled, looking so amused that her turquoise eyes sparkled like blue diamonds while he tried to woo her as she suspected he saw guys do on television. He was the most distant thing from smooth, but she appreciated the effort that he made and often rewarded him for his efforts. He typically blushed from just a simple kiss, which she only thought was even more adorable, so she would up the ante, kissing him deeper.

She had figured out months ago the reason that she thought that he was so cute, the reason she used any excuse available to come see him was because she was in love with him. It was almost laughable to think and he told her that there were whispers around his dorm where guys were wondering how he managed to get such a drop-dead gorgeous chick. He was not the type to kiss and tell and he was not the type to indulge guys that were practically insulting him over the fact that _he_ dared to have a hot girlfriend. He was so sweet, she thought.

"Bonnie, they didn't have what you usually want, so I just got you what I got," he reported as he entered the small room with two plain white, rectangular containers. She turned to him with a smile.

"It's all right, Larry. That'll do," Bonnie answered in a very pleasant voice, her eyes shining like precious jewels just because he had come back.

Larry smiled shyly in response to her expression. He blushed also, but that was mostly hidden by the thick black frames of his glasses. It did not matter anyway because she would only think that he was cute if she saw the blush. He was so adorable and he was the man for her.

Yes, Bonnie Rockwaller was in love with Larry Possible. She met him almost a year ago by accident. He had been at her school at the library since it was the closest one to his campus; his campus library did not have the books that he required in stock at the time. She had been in there studying for a paper, he had sat down at her table, and they might not have paid each other any mind if only her cell phone had not gone off and he had the nerve to scold her about it because she was interrupting his study time. And with that, one thing led to another, and now Bonnie was in love with a bona fide nerd and she almost did not give a damn about it. Almost.

Bonnie had changed, for the better most people would say since high school. She was showing signs of intelligence as far as school went and taking school much more seriously now. But, she was still social, bitchy with people that got on her nerves, and shallow to a degree. Because of the fact that she still worried about her image, she dated Brick Flagg since he was a popular, good-looking quarterback at her school and it just looked good for her, the hot cheerleader, actually captain of her school cheerleading squad, to be dating Brick. Once she was off of her school grounds though, she did not seem to care about her image.

She supposed that her problem with being on campus was that she was by herself and she let certain thoughts invade her mind. She would think of her sisters and how they would make fun of her. Those thoughts would plague her because she did not have anyone to share them with, but if she was with Larry, he could talk her away from that dark place. He could soothe her nerves and make her feel comfortable in her own skin because he could relate to her in a way because people did try to tear him down too. He did not know the sting of having family do such a thing, but he could still help Bonnie out of her abyss through his experience. He could assure her that their opinions did not matter, build her confidence through kind words that were not matched by any others she rarely heard from other people. When he was not around, she gave into the propaganda as she would in the past, but he was helping her edge away from there. She loved being around him because of his understanding nature and easing words, among other things. She recognized and greatly appreciated that he was helping her grow as a person.

Bonnie had no problem with walking about Larry's school with his arm hooked around her waist; she usually insisted on placing his hand on her hip if they were going to anywhere together. She would go out in public with him like that, not caring if she ran into someone that she knew. Deep in her heart, she actually did wish that she would cross paths with a person that she knew while she was with Larry. She would feel like a weight was lifted off of her, especially if that person went and told Brick. She would be forced to drop her last bit of shallowness and be with the man that she loved without the guilt that she was feeling and she did feel guilt.

Bonnie loved Larry, but there she was still seeing Brick while she was with him. She did not feel like she was cheating on Brick, even though she had been with him first. She felt like she was cheating on Larry and for a rather stupid reason, a reason that she wanted to overcome. She knew that she needed to get out of her last bit of shallowness before the pressing, almost crippling guilt made her do something foolish, like confess to her love what she was doing and then she would risk losing him. She was not interested in that, so she needed to get away from Brick soon, especially since Larry was no idiot. He would figure her out sooner or later.

Little did Bonnie know, but Larry was on to her already. Hey, he was no idiot and, sure, he was naïve when it came to a lot of things, but when a beautiful girl like Bonnie started showing an interest in him, he had to do some checking around. He was able to find out that she was with Brick, but he had not broken up with her because it was not often when a guy like him could get a girl like her and as time went by, he was able to tell that she was not playing around with him or anything. She genuinely liked him, so now all he could do was wonder if she genuinely liked Brick too or if she was going to leave the blonde football player someday. He doubted that it would be the latter. He could not compete with a man like Brick when it came to woman like Bonnie, he thought. Most of the time, he just figured that he needed to enjoy being around Bonnie because it was probably going to be his last time, which he actually did not want, but figured that he would have to deal with when the time came.

Part of Larry dared to hope that it would never be his last time with Bonnie. She made him feel in a way that he never thought possible; he could not even describe it. When she smiled at him, it felt like he was hit by magic that made him believe everything would be right in his world as long as she was there. When she hugged him, his heart beat increased and seemed to spread a warm feeling through his entire body. He wanted her to be with him always and he hoped that he could somehow beat out Brick by being nice to her, by helping her conquer her remaining demons, and by showing her that she mattered deeply to him by doing little things for her, like get lunch.

"You sure this'll do?" Larry asked in a slightly worried voice as he handed Bonnie the top container of food.

"Of course. I usually pick at your food anyway," Bonnie pointed out with a small smile and a bit of a laugh. Oh, god, she felt giddy around him so often and she did not know how to turn that off.

"Yeah," he replied with a slight of a laugh of his own that was followed by a rather unattractive snort. He used to be very self-conscious about it around Bonnie, but she never seemed to mind it and that did not change at the moment.

Larry sat down next to Bonnie and, sure enough, she picked at his food more than focusing on her own, despite the fact that they had the same meal. He did not mind; he would let her get away with anything if it would just keep her with him for one more day. It was not just that he liked having a beautiful woman for a girlfriend, but he sincerely liked, maybe even loved Bonnie. He knew that a lot of people wondered what he could possibly have in common with her to keep her and whenever he went over it in his head, he found that they had very little in common, but that she was just interested in whatever he liked.

Bonnie could not explain it, but from his sci-fi fascination to his desire to build combat robots, she liked to be right there with him. Maybe it started out because it was something new to her. She had never been into that sort of thing, but since Larry was, she figured that she should be open to it. Besides, she liked any little excuse to be around him. She knew that most people would think it was weird if they knew her, but it made perfectly to her.

Larry was the total opposite of guys that she typically dated and guys that she typically dated got on her nerves. God, almost every time that she was in a room with Brick, she wanted to stab him in the eye to relieve him of the pain of being so damned dumb. Plus, he was a self-absorbed prick that would never think to do a thing for her unless she hollered at him. It did not help matters that Brick slept with anything that had female bits.

Larry, on the other hand, was very sweet and would never think to cheat on her. What he did not have in physical presence, he made up for in mental capacity, which was a very welcomed change of pace for Bonnie since she was now delighting in showing her own intelligence. He did nice things for her without her having to ask and if she did request something, he was right on the ball, like when she asked that he go out and get her some Chinese food. If he remained as sweet as he was, she would stay with him for all eternity if he would let her.

Bonnie did not care what other people would think if they saw her with Larry either. She knew that her sisters would try to tear him down and tear her down for being with him, but she would not listen to them. She would not let them screw up the most fulfilling relationship that she had ever had. Sure, they still influenced her thoughts, but not enough for it to cost her something as precious as Larry.

She could not help wondering what Kim would think if the little hero knew that she was dating Kim's cousin. Yes, she knew that Larry was Kim's cousin; they had been going out long enough for them to have gone through family trees and Possible was not a common name in the slightest. Kim would probably suspect the relationship of being some kind of trick on Bonnie's part, but Bonnie would not even entertain such nonsense. She would let Kim know plainly that she loved Larry if she ever had to say something to the redhead, who would undoubtedly want to protect her cousin.

Larry was unaware that Bonnie knew Kim. Bonnie did not really like talking about how she was in high school. She also did not want Larry to know that she used to be quite evil toward his cousin; a cousin whom he seemed to like well enough. She did not want to lower his opinion of her, so she never told him that she knew Kim. She supposed that it was going to make for a slightly awkward situation if Larry ever wanted her to meet Kim. After all, she doubted that she would be "nice" to Kim, even if she did not want to do anything that might cost her Larry. It was just that his cousin was damn annoying.

The two ate while watching some sci-fi movie that Bonnie did not care one way or another about, but Larry was interested and that was good enough for her. She inched her way close to him as he had the bad habit of sitting almost a half-foot away from her when they were in his dorm. It was almost like he was scared of her, which she thought was just too cute. He did not seem to notice her creeping closer, focusing mostly on the movie and his meal.

By the time that they were done with their food, Bonnie was pretty much in Larry's lap. When he noticed, he could not help wondering when she had moved. She took his arm and put it around her waist while resting her head against his shoulder. He stared down at her more than looking at the movie playing on his television. His eyes were slightly wide, almost as if he was confused or awed by something. He seemed amazed that she was on him; hell, that she was with him. What did this beautiful, intelligent woman see in a geek like him? He did not know, but he thanked whoever it was that made her see it.

"I don't think I could in good conscience ever ask for anything more than this," Larry commented to himself. Well, the most that he could ask for beyond what he had was that she would never leave him. Other than that, he was set for life as far as he was concerned.

Bonnie did not give Larry too much time to contemplate what was going on. She noticed that he was watching her, which caused her to smile; it was a cross between a coy and devilish expression. She sat up and placed a soft kiss to his mouth. Larry was shocked, as he often was when she kissed him. She giggled a bit as she pulled away because of his expression. He almost looked like he saw a ghost.

"Aren't you going to kiss me back?" Bonnie teased, half-smirking as she spoke. "Or is it that you don't like me anymore?" She put on a false pout and appeared quite hurt.

Larry made an audible and unattractive "yep" noise when she said that before starting to stammer through an explanation for why he had not kissed her back. She giggled again and cut him off, leaning in for another, deeper kiss. He wisely returned the show of affection as soon as her cloud-soft lips were touching his. As the kiss progressed, his gripped her around the waist got a little tighter, a bit more possessive, which made her smile internally.

"Never let go of me," the tanned woman silently pled with Larry. She hoped that he could read her mind.

Bonnie dominated the kiss as she often did. She never got tired of being in charge of their making out sessions; she liked being the boss still. She would yield to the brunette male if he ever decided to assert himself, but he was too nervous to even try that at the moment. She was not sure if he was just naturally jumpy or if he did not want to upset her. She wished that he would figure out that it was almost impossible for him to upset her if it was the latter.

Since Bonnie was taking the initiative things progressed quickly because she wanted him; oh, how she wanted this so-called geek before her. Hell, he was a geek, but he was _her_ geek, her love. And she did not care who knew it.

Larry tried not to be self-conscious when Bonnie pulled his shirt off over his head. Despite the fact that she had seen him nude quite a bit, he was still a bit shaky about it. He was a doughboy for the most part, squishy all around his middle. He figured that one day, she was going to take a good look at him and start laughing considering the fact that her other boyfriend was a well-built football player and he was a flabby nerd with no muscle to speak of on any part of his body.

Bonnie did not care much about his physical appearance. She had no problem with kissing all over his chest once it was in plain view. His actions and mind were enough for her; she did not need him to look like some model or athlete too. Besides, he was not those things and she would not change a thing about him.

Larry was a bit lost in what to do, despite having been in the situation countless times already. He seemed to be frozen in place, which was not something that was uncommon with him. His brain, despite brilliant, never seemed to be able to keep up or catch up with Bonnie when she started doing things to him. It was all right though because he knew that she would bring him up to speed.

Bonnie took Larry's hands in hers and directed him in taking her out of her shirt. She kept a hold of his hands and got him to massage her chest. She was so soft and felt so wonderful, he thought as he finally realized what she was making him do. It only took a few seconds before he was caressing her on his own, in his own way, and causing her to moan. He was amazed that he could have such an affect on her, but he did know how to touch her. He learned quickly after all and he had done it enough to be able to make her scream in delight even if he was blindfolded.

Bonnie was practically an oozing mess and she would have liked to just lose herself in his touch, but she knew that Larry would never take them to where they both wanted to go. She had to keep her wits about her enough to take things further until Larry's instincts just took over, unless of course she decided to just be in charge of the whole session. Larry's intention did not seem to be to let her do everything that time around, though.

He continued to touch Bonnie in a way that was making her quiver and whimper, wanting more from his knowing hands. He had memorized all of her sensitive areas and knew exactly how much pressure to apply to get a certain kind of response. Before long, Bonnie was lying on the Star Wars' bed spread, panting for Larry to just keep going. He had no plans on stopping until he just did not have a choice. He followed through with those plans; she was thankful for his initiative. It was quite refreshing.

When he was spent, Larry collapsed to the side, lying next to Bonnie. She smiled and snuggled up to him, pressing herself into him as if she was trying to merge with his side. She put her arms around him, pressing their contrasting naked bodies close together. He blushed when he felt her against him and that made her laugh a bit.

"I love you," Bonnie stated plainly, but earnestly and she gave him a sweet peck on the mouth. He blushed more, which she expected.

"I…" Larry stuttered as if he did not know any other words. He could not get the phrase out, even though he wanted badly to do so. "You too," he ended up saying, while mentally berating himself for not making any sense.

Bonnie did not look offended in the slightest over his inability to say the phrase. She knew that he did it more out of anxiety than the fact that he did not love her in return. She would rather he not be able to say it so smoothly now and still mean it rather than say it as smoothly as Brick and not even know the meaning of the phrase like the football player.

Larry was going to work for this woman, he told himself because he did love her. He was not going to give up just because others thought that he did not deserve her or because she had a better looking guy on the side. He was going to fight for her, especially since she truly seemed to want to be with him. He was going to work hard and make her his until the end of time. Hey, anything was possible for a Possible.

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Next time: Is Will Du really as into rules and regulations as he seems?


	8. TCB

I don't own these characters.

8: T.C.B

She was a two-bit villain at best, but even that was stretching things. Not even a nickel-and-dime hood or something that would make sense. She did not even have any street-cred or a tough reputation. She was like the bottom of the barrel.

She was a faker and then had the nerve to get upset when it was revealed as such. She let her anger and delusions of grandeur get the best of her and did something totally stupid. No, she was not even the brightest bulb in the pack to top things off; she could admit that to herself now. She was a joke and probably always would be, and she had placed herself in that situation, not that she was ready to admit that. She did not have a problem with wallowing in self-pity like a pig in mud, though.

"I'm good…" she muttered to herself in a sorrowful tone. "They just never saw it…"

She just wanted people to notice her and to see that she was great at something. She did not think that it was too much to ask. She was willing to bet that most people wanted the same thing. Sure, many people probably would not have gone about things the way that she did, but then again, those same people probably would have settled into being mediocre. She did not want that. She wanted to be someone famous and important and she had had that for a moment. She had fifteen minutes of fame, which was more than most people could ask for. For those meager fifteen minutes, she had paid with her freedom. Not the smartest move she had ever made…maybe. She was not totally sure yet.

The one thing that she was certain of was that she disliked being in jail and she was going to be there for a long time. As it turned out, kidnapping, which she had done and stupidly filmed it, was a serious offense. She was lucky that her lawyer was competent enough to get her off of the count of attempted murder. She was still going to be in jail for some years, but at least it would not be for the rest of her life. That was one of the few things that worked out well for her.

"What luck," she grumbled miserably, running a frustrated hand through her short golden hair.

She sighed as she started to do the other thing that worked out for her, namely clean the office that she was currently standing in. She had gotten a work detail after behaving herself pretty well in prison those first few years. Her good behavior was more for her own defense than the fact that she was actually personally improving morally speaking. Prison was not a place that she enjoyed being and she needed to get out of there in someway if she was going to survive.

The worst thing about prison was that many of the criminals made fun of her while she was there. It was not because of her plan, which many of them conceded was not so bad. There had been worse plots to trap Kim Possible, after all. No, what people got on her about was the fact that she was a phony, just like what people on the outside world got on her case about. The inmates made fun of her and pushed her around, finding that she could not physically defend herself against hard-core criminals.

She was treated like a slave by inmates that could intimidate her enough, which there were no short supply of. Some inmates beat her up to get her to do things for them. They would steal her food during meals, take things that her family sent her, and do all other sorts of horrible things to her. Jail certainly did not agree with her.

Out of everyone in the prison with her, she recalled the worst of them, a weird, green-skinned she-beast named Shego. Shego did not even have to physically touch her. Her evil, twisted, devil-controlled tongue did more damage than anything else could. God, Shego used to pick on her all of the time, especially about her having the nerve to think that she, a weakling according to Shego, could take on Kim Possible. She hated that pale bitch with a passion, but also found herself jealous of Shego too.

After all, Shego could protect herself in prison, even though her hands were also contained in special cuffs that were supposed to keep her from using some rather cool super powers. From all of the time that she was in jail with Shego, the green-skinned viper had escaped several times. She wished that she had been able to do such things, which added to her envy of the green demon. Instead of escaping, she had to be on her best behavior to get out if only for a few hours and for those few hours, she was pretty much a janitor. She had fallen very far from having a top-rated television show to emptying wastepaper baskets into a trashcan. She did not like it, of course, but it served a purpose. She thought of that purpose as she opened the door to the next office that she had to clean.

"I'm busy," a cold, almost mechanical voice stated from inside of the room before she even had a chance to make it fully through the door.

"Too busy for me, Will?" she asked from the door, faking a pout.

The sole occupant of the office, Global Justice agent Will Du, turned to the doorway at the sound of the voice, a voice that he viewed as heavenly. He nearly smiled when he saw the energetic blonde woman that was standing at the threshold that separated his office from the hall. The glow if the lights from the hallway mixing with the dull, nearly dark of his office illuminated her form to look near-radiant and close to angelic.

"I didn't know you were working tonight, Lynn," Will commented in a soft tone that would have shocked all of his colleagues if they were to have heard it. After all, they were used to him sounding snotty, as if he thought his shit did not stink, many whispered.

"They changed my days," the blonde, Lynn, replied with a predatory smirk. She was better known as AdrenaLynn, but most people did not call her that where she was. The inmates used her birth name of Lynn out of disrespect and officers of the law used her birth name because using her other name was seen as encouraging her criminal behavior.

"What? I didn't get a memo on that," Will muttered while searching through all of the papers that were littering his usually methodically clean, jet black desk.

Lynn laughed lightly, sounding quite pleasant. "I doubt they'd give someone as high up as you a memo on changing the days of a prisoner's work detail," she pointed out.

Will was going to disagree with that because he typically got a memo on everything, but the way that she phrased the statement caught him. She made it seem like he was someone important and that the office would not waste his time on something like a single prisoner's schedule. He liked that about her; it was like she respected him and took him seriously. Despite his rank in Global Justice, he knew that many of his coworkers did not allot him the respect that he craved, that he believed he deserved. Hell, he knew that the boss did not respect him in just the way that he desired, but Lynn seemed to give him just that.

"I'd like to keep an eye on you, though. I don't want them to transfer you out or anything like that before I get a chance to change that," Will replied sincerely. The thought did make him nervous that he would be glanced over one day when they were transferring her or giving her a new work detail or anything that would prevent him from seeing her.

Lynn smiled a bit; he wanted to keep her around. She felt special because of that, which was all she really wanted out of life. She wanted people to look up to her and to respect her. She guessed that she had not gone about it in the best way, namely faking all of those extreme stunts, but it was just about the only thing that she could do. She was not particularly good at anything else.

"So, you're here on your own or is there a guard with you?" Will asked curiously while trying to look to her side and see out into the hall way, but that did not work. Usually, she was there on her own now because she was not a flight-risk as far as the system was concerned. He was not sure if that changed with the fact that they changed her days and no one told him.

"Well, there's a guard, but he's downstairs with a new inmate on work detail. So, you've got me all to yourself," Lynn replied with a bit of a smirk and a slight wiggle of her hips, which got his entire attention.

Will smirked, looking almost charming. She might as well have told him that he won the lottery from the way that he felt on the inside. A warm, delighted feeling washed over him, which she was experiencing also. Her heart sped up slightly because of his expression, telling her that she was wanted.

"Guess work'll have to wait for another night," the law enforcement agent commented while brushing his papers into a folder. He did not care about their order or the fact that some were crooked or poking out of the folder. He just wanted to get the clutter from his desk.

"Aw, you'll stop working just for me?" she asked, teasing him a bit. She knew that the ebony-haired agent was quite the workaholic. It only made her feel better about herself, knowing that such a hard-worker would cease his typical behavior just for her.

"You know I will," he replied, still smirking. "Come here," he practically ordered. It was hard for him to request things considering who he was, but he did make the attempt for her. It was just that his requests still came out sounding like commands.

Lynn did not reply to that order. She looked down for a moment, seeming almost coy. He could not help chuckling to himself because of how shy she managed to look. Despite everything that she had done and what she had gone through there was one thing that people would not take away from her, which was that she was fine actress. He could see through her act, though, which was one of the reasons why they were where they were.

She finally stepped all the way into the office, closing the door behind her. His office was only just a little bigger than her cell. He had it straightened up to the point where it gave off the illusion that it was larger than it was, but not by much. He had a bookshelf in the corner by the door and his walls were plain white. There was a grey and black expensive rug on the floor, but other than that the floor was covered in speckled tiles that matched the rug. His desk was polished obsidian that was cool to the touch; she ran her fingers along the edge as she approached him.

Will pushed his black leather chair out when Lynn was close. The blonde took a seat in his lap, which was where he wanted her. As soon as she was seated, he wasted no time in resting his hands on her legs, which were covered by her prison-issued, orange jumpsuit. She looked cute in it, in his opinion, although he would like to see her in something aside for prison-issued things for once. That would be a long time coming, though.

He could only wonder what Lynn had been thinking when she committed her crimes. He did not ask her about, knowing that it was a touchy subject just from the way that she used to bemoan the way other prisoners treated her. He often wondered if she had not done the things that she did, would they have still met? Would he still be able to hold her? Would she still be there for him to make him feel like someone that actually mattered as much as he should?

Lynn did not have the answers to such questions. She was not sure if their paths would have ever crossed, which led her to believe that she would have felt empty sooner or later in her life. He fulfilled her in a way that even her brief stint in fame could rival.

"So, what have you been up to?" he asked, broaching her favorite subject, which was herself, even though she did not have much to talk about lately. She tried not to whine to him much anymore since she felt that their time was precious and needed to be filled with more important things than her gripes.

"Nothing. Same as usual," she answered with a shrug. "What about you?" she countered. He was her second favorite subject, so she did not mind discussing him. He especially liked talking about himself.

"Just a bunch of paperwork. Missions are down this month for some reason."

"You must be bored," she commented, sounding as if she was lamenting a plight that she was sure he was suffering.

"Not anymore," he remarked, showing signs of being a smooth operator. It took a lot of time with being with Lynn for him to make it to that point where he could think of semi-romantic things to say to her. He still had a long way to go, but they both supposed that was fine since Lynn was not going anywhere anytime soon.

Lynn smiled. "And why is that?" she asked, obviously fishing for compliments. She did not have to do too much for that as Will would get around to it.

"Because you're here, of course," he answered, seeming to miss the fact that she was teasing a bit with that question. He responded as if he really believed that she did not know why he was not bored anymore. He could still be a bit oblivious and thick-headed sometimes, but she could work with that. It was not like she had other options anyway.

Lynn smiled again and rested her head against his shoulder broad, making herself comfortable against his firm form. He was a bit wider and more muscular, hitting the Global Justice gym when he had the chance. At first, he thought that a bulkier form might get him more admiration from his coworkers, but now, he just did it to impress Lynn.

Will caressed the small of her back, his fingers running gently over the cheap prison material. She was ready to purr from the attention, but held the noise in for a moment. By the time the mews finally escaped her lips, his other hand was massaging her thigh. She sounded like quite the content kitten.

"This is so nice," she muttered into his shoulder. He made a noise in agreement while keeping up his attentive actions.

They did not think about what might happen if someone was to come into his office and catch them together; Lynn had forgotten to lock the door. Locking the door used to be no concern of hers anyway; it was not like she was the one that would get into trouble if they were ever discovered. Now, she did care about what happened to Will, but it just slipped her mind a lot of the time to lock the door and she doubted that someone would ever come in anyway.

Will, knowing the rule book of Global Justice and the law of the land better than he knew his own name, was well aware of the trouble that he would be in if he was ever found with Lynn in his lap…or worse. He did not understand why he would taunt the rules for her, especially the first time. Why would he risk so much for her that first time? At least it made sense now considering the fact that he knew that he at least liked her, which was rare with him. The first time, he supposed that it had just been a trap of some kind…and he was right.

The first time that Will and Lynn came into contact with each other, the blonde had simply been craving male attention and Will had been in his office at the time. She practically had to pounce on him before he gave into her not-too-subtle advances. She had actually deflowered the stuck-up agent that night, which she thought was funny at the time. It gave her a sense of confidence that she had been lacking since her brush with Kim Possible years ago and her self-esteem only grew when Will showed signs of being addicted to her. She had control of someone for a change instead of everything being stacked against her.

Will remembered that night well. He had no idea what had been going on, why she had been trying to tackle him to the floor, why she had been putting her lips everywhere while ripping his clothes off. One part of his body understood all too well what was going on and by the time he caught up to that body part, it was too late. She had him pinned and he just stopped fighting it. He had never experienced anything like that and he had thoroughly enjoyed it. He was always happy to see her after that moment. She was not too disappointed with his presence either.

The mutual lust that the pair felt for each other grew with each time that they were together to the point now that it was almost unrecognizable from the initial emotions that they had experienced. The lust was still there, but then again, there were always licentious and amorous feelings between any decent couple. That was the odd thing between them now; they were a couple.

The happiness that they experienced now when they saw each other went beyond the prospect that they would be getting laid. There was just an underlying feeling of pure, sentimental bliss that crawled through them like slowly rising flood water whenever they laid eyes on each other. The thought of just being near each other, holding each other, was enough to cause them to smile without any lecherous deeds accompanying the actions. They felt comfortable with each other, adequate Will might say. It was not something that either of them could boast of experiencing with other folks, peers, or anything. They could only feel that way in the other's company.

It would be nice for them to be able to talk about it, they both thought. The feelings that they brought each other were so incredible that they would love to shout them to the mountains. Maybe one day in the future they would be able to do such a thing. Right now, at least they both knew how they made the other feel. That was enough.

"How long do you think they'll leave you up here?" Will asked curiously since the times changed from guard to guard. Some guards rushed her while others did whatever while leaving her to take her dear, sweet time.

"At least an hour," Lynn answered. The guard with her did not really care how long she took, especially since he was having a good time taunting the new girl, Hoodie or something like that; she had been transferred recently. Lynn had not been paying too much attention when the inmate was introduced. All she thought about was how she was going to get to see Will soon enough.

Will nodded, mentally commenting how that was real good. He would like to forget about work and be with Lynn for an hour. She loved the idea of getting to do something that she wanted to do for an hour. She loved being with someone who respected her for an hour. She hungered to be with someone that wanted to be with her in a loving manner like a woman that was lost in the desert for days.

Lynn sat up and leaned in to give Will a tender, but hungry kiss. The embrace told him how much he was missed and how much he was wanted. He craved that feeling more than a drowning man craved air. It was wonderful to be with someone that actually enjoyed his company, someone that did not talk about him behind his back. Someone that actually took him seriously and valued him; she could understand that because she was glad for the same.

"You're the best," Will commented as they pulled away from each other to gather in some air.

"The best? At what?" the blonde asked curiously through a series of pants.

"Being your wonderful self," he answered and giving her a gentle peck on the cheek. See, if given a little time, he could muster, sweet romantic things on his own.

Lynn smiled. "You're the best too, no matter what anybody says about you. They all talk because they're jealous anyway."

Will nodded, agreeing with that for the most part. She always knew the right things to say to him. He would give her the world if he could just for the way that she made him feel, especially when she made him feel like the big agent he was supposed to be. One day, when she was out of prison, he was certainly going to repay her kindness as best he could.

They met each other in another passionate kiss, their hands moving to caress each other while their lips locked against each other as if wielded together. She put her hands around his neck, resting her arms on his strong shoulders and kneading his back. His hands fell to her hips, holding her against him while caressing them as if he was making bread. She moaned into his mouth, letting him know that she was enjoying his ministrations.

She ended up pulling away from him, wanting to get out of her rather confining jumpsuit as soon as possible. He was going to reach up and help her, but she was fine on her own. She had to stand up for a moment to get out of the clothing and while she did that, he decided to shed his own gear to avoid messing his outfit up. He was going to actually fold his clothes to make sure that they did not get wrinkled, but Lynn was on him before he had the chance to do that. He almost yelped when she hit him and forced him to settle back into the chair.

Will could have complained about doing what they were about to in his favorite chair, not wanting to stain it, but Lynn did not give him the chance. She knew that the objection was going to come, so she had to move fast. She kissed him, long and hard, while situating herself in his lap. By the time they broke the kiss, he could not say anything. He could only sit back and enjoy the ride.

She almost whined when they were connected, feeling him touch her soul. Tears of joy threatened to invade her eyes, but she managed to blink them away. How could one man make her feel like she was in heaven? She had no clue and she really did not care to know the answer as long as Will stayed with her.

A minute passed by before Will was able to think enough to reach up and caress the working blonde in his lap. She was so soft, so delightful, he thought was his hands ran along her creamy torso. She hissed as his hands moved up and down her sensitive flesh. He reached up and put a finger to her lip to remind her to be quiet. She kissed his fingertip, which put a smile on his face.

"Oh," he grunted as her body jerked above him. She chuckled a bit and taunted him by putting her finger to his mouth to remind him to be silent. They both looked at each other at that point, their eyes telling each other to get serious to avoid getting in trouble.

They had to control themselves, even though it was a bit difficult because they could not be together on a daily basis to get used to being joined. They kissed to muffle any loud noises that wanted to escape their throats and also just to feel even more of each other. The feel of the embrace told them how the other felt better than words ever could. They clung to each other emotionally as if they were hanging from mile high cliffs.

They could only hope that the sound of their skin meeting did not attract any unwanted attention, although they quickly became too lost in each other to care. The world consisted of just them to their minds and they made the world worth living in to the other. They were all they needed. They gave each other exactly what they wanted.

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Next time: Barkin…and well…yeah, just wait for it.


	9. In the Navy

I don't own these characters.

A/N: Okay, this is gonna be shorter than other chapters because this pairing disturbs the heck outta me! Unlike the other chapters, this one takes place in the past.

9: In the Navy

The army frowned upon creatures like him, just like his father did. He was all wrong for armed services, but he went because his father believed that it would make a man out of him. It had made a man out of him. It turned him into the one person that he never wanted to be; he had become his father. Now, not only did he carry that man's name and face, but he walked around with that personality that he had despised so much growing up. The forceful, hard, unyielding, and rather ugly persona of a man that always believed that he was right and never listened to differing opinions. He was pretty much his father thanks to the army.

He was carrying on his father's legacy, something that he had wanted nothing more than to die a pauper's death when he was a boy. A legacy that haunted him, that frightened him almost as it judged him and proclaimed him to be unworthy of his own name because he was not "a man." It was something that used to loom over him like some dark boogeyman. All of the disapproving looks, bellowing, barking, orders of what he should do and what he should not do, especially if it seemed like something that he would enjoy. All of what he wanted nothing of was in that legacy that he had so wished to slaughter himself and make his father a better, more understanding, and more accepting man.

Instead of killing that beast, he had allowed it into his being, adopted it as his own to survive and survive he did. All it cost him was his soul. The army was an incubus, just like his father, he concluded. He had allowed it to devour him, though. Maybe he was weak, he considered. He had allow himself to become what he was now.

He had always been a big guy, so that was plus for him in the military. He worked out because he did care about his health, so it was not like his physique was an accident. It was also an inheritance that he did not mind. He, of course, got his size from his father. It made sense in his opinion to get his size from his father to help him fit into the army.

His personality just had not fit in with his new environment. He was a bit timid, mostly because of his height. He hated standing out ever since he was a kid. People used to call him a giant and make fun of him, so he had always slouched, hoping to hide the fact that he was so tall. Whenever he was approached to play sports, he declined, even though his height would have been valued there. He just never wanted anyone to see, so now he was shy, some might even call him frightened. He had been scared that the army would eat him alive because of his low-key approach to life and he was right, not that many people would notice. His father certainly thought that he had come out of things for the better. He had totally lost himself there, though.

For a while, Steve Barkin had not known who he was or who he had been. He merely functioned as a soldier, doing as he was told, hardening himself to the reality that he had been left to. Somewhere underneath all of the tough talk and mindless actions, he knew that he was a quiet boy that really had one desire in life and that was to be left alone by those that made fun of him. Although now no one dared to make fun of him, considering the things that he was capable of. He wanted himself back, though.

Steve wanted some part of himself back. He longed to stop being his father, but being that man seemed to be the way to go in the army and he was too scared to stop. Something might happen if he quit now, like all kinds of jeers and unwanted, negative attention would come his way. So, he remained his father and crushed his own inner self, condensing the boy that would have died in the army into a little ball at the core of his spirit, protecting it with an aegis that no man dared to challenge without being devoured by his new persona.

Beyond his shyness, the army would have torn into him for the things that his father did if he dared to be his true self. His father swore that he was not a man when he was younger. When he became a teenager, his father's nickname for him was "the fairy" and he would openly refer to him as such around any and everyone. He never even bothered to correct his father's thoughts, knowing that the man would not listen. And now, he was that same hardheaded man.

But, one day, someone saw right through him. He had not been expecting it and it opened his life to a page that he had long thought he had made it passed since being in the armed forces. It was another reason that he had been so sure that the army would eat him alive like a ravenous beast when he was first inducted. He tried to ignore it at first as the new problem got closer to him.

The problem was a fellow soldier named Dash Demond. He was as large as Steve and his whole face was clean shaven, including his head. He was an attractive looking guy with clear chocolate skin. He actually looked younger than he was, which gave him some boyish charm that got him a lot of attention from women. He had a smile that made it seem like he could charm the devil and a swagger to him that seemed to say the same thing.

Dash was a friendly, but bossy fellow, which might have come from being in the army as it had with Steve. He had the odd habit of putting his arms around people's shoulders when he talking to them, as if trying to make them comfortable with his overwhelming presence. Dash seemed to know everyone at the base that they were stationed at; he liked having connections, just in case he once explained. He had come to notice that Steve was always alone during their free time and he made it his mission to get to know the large brunette, whether Steve liked it or not. It was just the kind of guy he was; whenever he set himself a goal, he kept going for it until he won.

At first, Steve resisted, telling himself that he had no need or want for friends. After all, he had gotten along quite well in life without any since he was little, or so that was what he told himself. He just did not trust people anymore and was not too sure how to act when a person was friendly toward him. Since he was not used to people being pleasant toward him, it actually made him uncomfortable.

Dash was not one to give up, which probably explained why he specialized in so many different areas. He was just an energetic pest, but it was not in an overly annoying way. He was subtle about things, many people would probably describe him as being smooth. Before Steve knew it, they were buddy-buddy, having drinks at a bar and getting to know each other. Steve reluctantly found himself enjoying Dash's company, which Dash claimed with an arrogant, but friendly smile was how everyone was when it came to him.

"I'm just cool like that," Dash remarked with a smug look on his face as he and Steve lounged around a bar.

Steve scoffed, but found himself believing that everyone probably did enjoy Dash's company. The man was utterly charming and Steve knew that he did not mind spending every free moment with the bald fellow. Dash did not seem opposed to Steve's company either, always inviting the brunette out when he could.

"You shouldn't always be alone," Dash informed Steve. He said things like that often and he always sounded sincere, maybe even concerned. Sometimes, Steve thought that he was hearing things wrong or that being drunk was affecting Dash's tone.

Either way, Steve was ultimately flattered when Dash took him out or told him that he should not be alone. Dash suspected that he was either one of a few people or the first person to show concern over Steve and his isolationist policy toward life. As he hung out with Steve more, he guessed that his isolation was more of a defense mechanism than anything else. He continued to try to work Steve out of his shell because he believed that it would do his friend a world of good. He was doing more than working Steve out of his shell by paying him so much attention, though.

Steve disliked the fact that he liked being around Dash because it brought out old urges. He thought that he had conquered that issue since being in the army, fearing what would not happen if he did not overcome the "disease." It turned out that he had not buried the problem deep enough in the graveyard of his psyche and it rose from the dirt like a zombie hell bent on revenge.

When Steve realized that he was attracted to Dash, he started avoiding the handsome chocolate male. Steve would not say that he was gay, per se. Throughout his pubescent life, he had always flipped between liking males and females. It was as if his body liked both, he thought, which he believed to be quite weird. In the small, suburban town that he had grown up in, it was not normal for anyone to like both sexes. He did not want something else to set him apart from everyone else. He supposed it could have been worse; he could have just been out and out, flaming gay. That, along with his height would have been enough for people to tease him about for two lifetimes.

"I do not need this…" Steve muttered to himself as he ducked behind a building when he saw Dash coming his way. He had been doing things like that for a couple of weeks and he was getting a bit weary of it.

Dash noticed his new friend missing and found himself disliking the fact that he might be being ditched. No one ditched the charismatic, bald young man, after all. When he confronted Steve about the issue, the old, timid young man that Steve had been so certain was dead came out of him. He guessed that happened because he was extremely nervous in regards to explaining why he had been avoiding Dash. Instead of saying anything, Steve stared at the ground, finding a crack in the concrete intensely fascinating.

"Come on, man. Just come right out and say what's the problem. Did I offend you or something?" Dash asked.

"No…" Steve mumbled.

"Then what the hell? You don't want to be my friend anymore or something?" the bald male inquired.

"No! That's not it!" Steve tried to assure his only friend in who-knew-how-many years.

"Then what the hell?" Dash asked again.

The large brunette stammered and stuttered, unable to even lie his way through why he had stopped being around Dash. He did not come right out and say the reason, mostly just sputtering through ways that made it sound like something that he thought was less weird. Throughout the exchange, Dash seemed to pick up on the real reason; he had radar for these kinds of things. Well, he had radar for a lot of things, which he guessed he inherited from his father, who was superb salesman. It was quite useful when trying to unload useless junk on people to know how to read body language and between the lines of what was being said. It paid to be able to read people.

"It's okay, man. As long as you're not trying to get rid of me," Dash said to Steve before the brunette ended up coming right out and say something that someone else could overhear.

"Eh?" Steve said in a confused tone. His face was just as bemused as his voice.

"Yeah, c'mon, lemme buy you a drink to celebrate," Dash remarked, putting his arm around Steve's broad shoulders and pulling him off toward the bar.

"Celebrate?" Steve echoed while glancing at the arm around him. What was there to celebrate? Did Dash not get what he had very nearly blurted out? He suspected not because Dash was acting like nothing happened at all between them.

They went to their usual bar and had a bunch of drinks. They also had some entertainment as a barroom brawl erupted when a fellow soldier and another patron of the bar had a little disagreement. Steve and Dash jumped in when the other soldier was attacked. They were no jokes when it came to fighting, both having boxing skills. Other people jumped in to fend off the soldiers, which only got more soldiers involved. The whole place blew up into a fight to the point where Steve and Dash had no clue who they were hitting, until Steve punched the crap out of Dash anyway.

"Oh, sorry," Steve apologized with a sheepish look on his face as Dash held his jaw. He looked dazed for a second, but he recovered enough to smile at Steve.

"You got a mean left," Dash remarked with a laugh and they turned right back into fighting. Many of their hits were one-hit knock out blows. The muscles apparently were not just for show and they chuckled through all of the combat.

The duo was high off of beer and adrenaline by the time the bartender managed to throw everyone out before they did anymore damage. Dash and Steve were in hysterics, laughing heartily as they walked off, leaving their fellow brawlers and brothers-in-arms behind. Everyone assumed that the two heavy-hitters were off to find another bar or even another fight considering how they had just rocked everyone in the pub.

The pair wandered off into the woods after all of the excitement. They both had a vague notion that they were a little drunk, but they did not care about that. They were actually way beyond "a little drunk." Hell, they had been a little drunk at the beginning of the night. Now, after several beers, no food, and an adrenaline-pumping fight, they were lucky to be able to stand up under their own power. That did not last long.

They were having a good time, even when they both fell to the ground for no reason other than losing their balance. They laughed at each other and themselves as they sat in the dirt, which was covered with twigs and dry grass. They stopped to look at each other and then it was like a beam went between them, changing everything around them instantly. The atmosphere was sucked away like a black hole came through and then vanished. Something different replaced the previous mood, something serious and heavy. It was then that Dash acted, doing something that surprised the hell out of Steve. Dash leaned over and kissed Steve on the mouth.

Steve went rigid with shock and did not return the embrace. He did not move at all. Dash was a bit puzzled by the inaction of his friend. Had he read Steve wrong? No, he did not think so. He pulled away to check.

"You okay?" Dash inquired, easily hiding the anxiety that was starting to gnaw at him as he considered that he might have just made an ass out of himself.

"What—what the hell are you doing?" Steve practically yelled in terror rather an outrage. He was trembling slightly and his eyes were like those of a cornered rabbit facing a hungry fox. "Do you know what they'll do to us if they saw that?" he asked in a hissed whisper.

"Calm down. No one's out here. Just us and some owls," Dash commented with a bit of a laugh. His body seemed relaxed and his face was drenched in an air of nonchalance. He did not think that anyone was going to see them do anything.

"Still…" Steve argued, or at least tried to. He did not have much ammunition and did not know how to go about using the little he had. It did not help that he actually wanted to continue.

"Isn't this what you want?" Dash inquired.

"I…um…uh…" Steve was not sure if he should admit that. What if it was some kind of trap or setup? He looked away, not trusting himself to not spill the beans.

Dash smiled; he liked seeing the bashful side of his friend. "It's cool, Steve. Between you and me, I know how you feel."

"You do?" Steve's voice was skeptical. He highly doubted that anyone knew how he felt, especially someone like Dash.

"Why else would I drag you out into the woods where there's no one around? What do you think, we're going rabbit hunting?" Dash quipped with an amused half-smile while motioning around to the forest that they were currently sitting in.

"You're…?" Steve inquired.

"Have been since I was sixteen…as far I know anyway," Dash answered with a bit of a laugh. He replied so easily and openly, showing that he was not ashamed at all. Steve did not see how that was even possible.

"But you're…" Steve was not even sure what he wanted to say. Nothing about Dash said homosexual to him; hell, to a lot of people.

The bald male chuckled. "I know what you mean. But then again, you are too and you're…" he trailed off, but motioned to Steve. From what he could tell, nothing about Steve said homosexual either, although Steve did not consider himself to be gay.

Steve muttered something under his breath that did not sound like English, or any other language for that matter. He wanted to explain that he had changed since he was in the army, but he never had been suspect in regards to his sexuality. Still, he thought that it would have been easier to guess when he was younger compared to now. He actually just wished that he could get over it, even though that would only serve to turn him into his father all the more.

"Look, I know how it is. I mean, you can't be out where I come from and I know how to hide it pretty well. So, how about you just roll with the punches and I can guarantee that we don't get caught," Dash promised, pouring on that charm that got people to follow him around like he was the Piped Piper.

Steve decided to go with the flow; it was his first time for such actions. He had a girlfriend had home, but the relationship was nothing too big. She was an outcast, he was an outcast, and they did not find it pleasant being outcasts together, but at least they had dates to the prom and did not look like total losers.

Steve was not totally sure what to expect, although he noted that Dash was somewhat prepared, as if he had planned out the whole night. Dash took control, having done that sort of thing before. He went slowly for Steve, which the brunette male was thankful for. They were there all night, though. No one really noticed their absence and those that did just thought that they had gotten into trouble into town beyond the barroom brawl that they had been involved in earlier.

Steve and Dash had a decent relationship from that moment on, but it did not last too long. They parted ways when getting deployment assignments. They tried to keep in touch, but as things happen in life, they drifted apart, which they were eventually thankful for; or that was what they told themselves anyway. They were hardened by war and reevaluated their situations and outlooks on life. They both decided that they were going to become "real men" and to them, there were certain things "real men" did, like they were never penetrated and only dated women. They were going to be "real men."

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Okay, the last chapter of this story is up to you guys. You guys throw pairings at me (characters that have not been used in the story) and I'll pick one at random to do the last chapter on. Don't get too crazy on me; I'm not creative enough to figure out why some people would be together.


	10. I ain’t saying she’s a…

I don't own these characters.

A/N: For those that wanted to see Tara. I'm sure you weren't expecting her to be with this character, though.

10: I ain't saying she's a…

She knew what he thought of her, or at least she thought that she knew what he thought of her. She guessed that it was because she was blonde and that was no one ever thought that she suspected anything, she considered. Maybe it was because of her personality, being happy, perky, and bubbly. Either way, people swore that she missed everything, even if she was standing right there. They thought she was stupid, she knew that. He thought that she was a gold digger.

She heard people whisper those things to him, telling him that she was a gold digger. She figured that he believed what they said because they were friends of his. They were people that he knew for years. They were his family members. They were definitely people that he knew longer than he knew her. So, he had to believe them, she figured anyway. It made sense to her that he would believe those people.

She was far from being a gold digger. It was just not in her to be so petty. It was not in her to manipulative or to take advantage of anyone, especially someone that she sort of liked. And she sort of liked him. It was "sort of" because she never could seem to figure out how actual feelings toward him. Maybe he was a friend; she was almost certain that he was not more than that.

She was around because he invited her and because she always accepted. There was something about him. She saw something inside of him that she was trying to bring out, but it seemed like it was a slow time coming. She supposed that she gave the effort because, well, she was a nice person and because she liked him, sort of. It was not a romantic "like," but it was enough to make her want to bring out the nice guy in him that she was certain existed underneath his snobby attitude. Well, maybe it was somewhat of a romantic "like," she conceded considering the things that she put up with and she kept coming back for more.

She remembered when he was at her high school for that brief moment. He ended up being voted president of the student council. She personally did not vote for him. Despite how stupid the world thought she was, she did do some thinking for herself and figured that a student that had been at the school for all of two seconds would not be the best person to represent the needs of the students. Obviously, much of the class did not agree with her assessment in that area. She had not had the pleasure of meeting him back then, but eventually their paths crossed again.

She had been working as a waitress at a very high class restaurant when they ran into each other again. She recognized him, but she did not make a thing out of it. He was there with his father and other people, after all. She did not want to embarrass him or anything like that. She doubted that it would matter anyway. She did not think that he would remember her or anything anyway. Turned out that she was wrong.

He knew that she looked familiar when she came to the table to wait on him and his party. He could not put his finger on it, but he could not let it go either. So, he ended up asking her. She easily told him that he probably saw her in the halls of Middleton High back when he was there a few years ago. It seemed like a light bulb went off in his head and he agreed with her. Then he started asking her a bunch of questions about the school, as if she still went there. She calmly explained to him that she had graduated years ago, which he seemed to understand.

The people at his table did not seem to understand why he was conversing and reminiscing with their waitress, especially since it was keeping their food. They said something about it, rather rudely, but she did not take any offense to them; she was used to it in that restaurant. She apologized to them, but when she came back to serve them, he started up again. He then started asking questions about Kim, remembering her fondly it seemed. She thought it was funny that he would remember Kim so fondly when she recalled that he treated her quite poorly when he was around her. Since she was still in contact with some people from high school, Kim being one of them, she was able to answer his questions at least vaguely. He seemed pleased with that.

Well, that could have been the end of things, but he seemed quite happy with being able to talk about Middleton. He came back to strike up more discussions and eventually their topics of conversations managed to make it out of Middleton High and to other things. It was through those talks that they got to know each other and she figured out that somewhere underneath his snobbish behavior there was a nice guy. She just had to dig deep to find him and bring him up. Luckily enough for her, he provided her with a bunch of opportunities to try to bring him out since he dragged her many places with him. Sometimes, more often now than at first, she got to see her efforts shining through him since she was always with him.

She supposed that if he did not think that she was a gold digger, things between them would be great. She might even be able to admit to herself that she would not mind a real relationship with him, although most people would say that they had a real relationship. It just happened to have problems, like every other relationship in the world.

She sighed and tried to banish her thoughts from her mind. She did not see why she should be thinking about such things at the moment. She should just be enjoying herself. After all, she was on a vacation that she would never be able to afford on her own, even if she saved up several years' worth of paychecks. She should just enjoy that, she told herself as she stretched out in her lounge chair. She was currently laid out next to a pool and soaking up some sun in pink bikini. She was waiting for him and she did not have to wait too long.

"You're looking comfortable, Tara," Wally remarked in his uppity tone that he just could not shake himself of.

"I am," she replied with a smile. "Thank you for noticing," she added in that polite tone that made him smile.

Wally laid down next to Tara in the other lounge chair. He looked over at her and felt like exhaling just because of the beautiful, slender, tanning body that was all his for now. Not only was she a lovely sight to behold, but she was also sweet, thoughtful, and kind. And despite popular opinion, she was way more intelligent than most people thought that she was, including his father.

He sighed as he thought about his father. The man certainly was piece of work. His father never made their kingdom a democracy, even though he pretended to entertain the idea when Wally first pitched it. His father was also the one putting it out there that Tara was a gold digger. He could only hope that she did not know about that rumor because he certainly did not see her that way.

Wally did not believe that Tara was a gold digger because he knew that he was the one that offered everything. Tara never asked him for something. He typically had to push things on her because she seemed very against getting gifts from him. He pretty much had to get on his hands and knees and beg her to go on vacation with him. He was almost sure that the only reason she accepted by then was because he was embarrassing her.

Tara did not seem to want to be his girlfriend, he noted sometime ago. He knew that she was trying to make him a friend. He was not going to settle in the friend niche. He did not want to be her friend. So, he was not letting up, used to getting his way. As far as he was concerned, he won out, but he knew that the struggle was going to have to continue on since she did not seem to totally know yet that she was his girlfriend. There was just something in her behavior that told him that he needed to keep on struggling with her, which he did not mind. He liked her well enough to fight for her and with her until the end of time.

Wally did not know on that faith day when he started talking to Tara about Middleton that he would end up chasing her for a romantic relationship. He was just enjoying talking about a time when he felt like he grew as a person thanks to his experience in Middleton High. But, the more that he talked to her, the more that he found he liked her company. He also liked that she brought a gentler side of him, a side that he thought was dying as he was smothered in the upper class of his country. She was his saving grace and he wanted her to be around him all the time because of that. That desire blossomed into wanting a romantic relationship.

"So," Wally said to start a conversation. "Any place in particular you want to go for dinner?" he asked curiously.

"Whatever you want is fine by me," she answered honestly with an impish smile.

Wally could not help smiling because of that. It was little things like that that attracted Wally to Tara. It was not that she was easy to please, but that she never did seem out to milk his wallet. He had gone out with girls before that just wanted to bleed him dry, even though they had money of their own. Tara was broke for the most part thanks to school, rent, and other bills, but she seemed more interested in trying to save him money than waste money because she never wanted to go any place really expensive.

"Well, what do you want to do?" he inquired, trying hard to sound playful, but his voice just was not able to pull it off. He knew that it was something that he had to work on if he wanted to keep his mitts on Tara.

Tara shrugged a bit, her smile flattering. She did not like his tone; it sounded like he was being pushy with her. She recognized that he was making an effort with her, but she did not think it was a great effort. Still, she pressed forward, knowing that underneath his snotty tone, there was someone better lurking. She just had to stick with him, she reminded herself.

"I just want to lay here," she informed him with a content sigh.

"Why? There's so much to do," he pointed out, still accidentally sounding pushy. He really wished that he could just buy a new voice.

Tara did not answer him for a moment. She did not want to tell him that she did not like going out with him sometimes. Whenever he seemed insistent about going somewhere, Tara got suspicious. She tried to be tentative around him when he was pushy because that was when she started thinking about how snobby he could and the thoughts of how people whispered that she was gold digger came to mind. She started thinking about how he had to think that she was a gold digger, so then she began to wonder why he wanted to be with her. She pretty much started to over think the situation.

It seemed to Tara, when she started thinking way too much, that like Wally always wanted to go some place where people knew him and they could seem that he had a pretty blonde on his arm. He liked showing her off, she thought. Why else would he hang around someone that he had a low opinion of? It was then she had to put up with dirty looks and whispers from people that did not even know her swearing that she was a gold digger. Most of the time, she felt like she was the one being used and then she also had to put up with harsh rumors. She could put up with a lot, but even she had her limit.

She tried to slow her mind down. She knew that Wally was not as bad as she was making him seem. If he was, she would not be there with him right now, after all. Still, she did just think herself out of going anywhere for the day.

"I'm fine where I am," Tara assured him with a smile, hoping that the expression would pacify him.

"But, this is your vacation. I want to treat you to things before you have to head back home," he pointed out with a tender expression on his face, which made her believe him.

The distance between them would probably stain many relationships; not that Tara was willing to concede that they were in a relationship. It was almost like the distance between them did not exist, though. Wally had no problem hopping on his private jet and going to see her or pick her up for some event or another. It was times like that where she believed he was flaunting his money and everything, which did not impress her. She was trying to get him to understand that money was not everything, yet he seemed to push that it was. Appearances seemed to mean a lot to Wally, she thought.

"I'm happy where I am," she repeated, still smiling.

Wally decided to yield, which won him points with her. In the past, he would have pressed the issue. He was learning what he should play tug-of-war with her over things and when he should just let things go. It was a difficult process that he was willing to put up with only for Tara. She was only vaguely aware of the effort, but that actually worked in his favor. Tara was not leaving him alone until she brought out the nice guy in him completely and for her to believe that there was progress going on, she would have to take more notice of his effort.

"Can I be where you are then?" he asked as a joke. He was wearing a brilliant smile, as if he did not have a care in the world, which got to her.

Tara actually blushed from that remark. Wally took the moment of her embarrassment and moved from his seat. He laid down on her chair, which did not have much room for the both of them despite the fact that neither of them were large. Tara disliked being close to Wally because she felt like it distracted her from her main goal. She was supposed to be bringing out Wally's inner nice guy, but instead she started taking note that he was well built guy that could be worse.

Despite her noble intentions, Tara was quite human and very much heterosexual. So, when a good-looking man with potential settled next to her with no shirt on, she tended to notice. She did not want to give him the wrong idea, but she was pretty sure that she did that already.

"So, it's all right for me to be where you are, huh?" Wally asked while gently gathering Tara in his arms.

The blonde did not resist Wally. She curled into his slender, muscular form, and that would be why she was certain that she had already given Wally the wrong idea. She did not want him to think that they were a couple because she tried not to think of them in that manner, but she did not always act like they were not a couple. More proof of that came from the fact that he leaned down and kissed her forehead. Her reaction was just to settle into him even more.

Wally smiled to himself. He began caressing her shoulder since his arm was wrapped around her. He also began tenderly rubbing her bare thigh. She purred slightly from the attention, which he knew was a good sign from the past. He loved that sound. He would like to make her do it in front his father, just to get on the older man's nerves and further freak his father out since his father thought he always knew everything and knew what was best.

Many things about his relationship with Tara would freak his father out, but he was not yet ready to let those things be known. He did not want his father to try to drive Tara away. The King already thought that she was gold digger just from the way that she was around Wally, ignoring the fact that Wally was the one that invited her places. It was not like she was just showing up without anyone asking, but his father did not consider that. His father just did not like Tara for a slew of reasons, which included her social status, or lack there of.

His father would probably have a litter of puppies if he knew just what Wally did with Tara when no one was looking. He could already hear his father scolding him over things, but he did not care. He doubted that she cared either and he doubted that she thought in the manner that his father swore that she did. Tara was way too sweet to be after just his money, he figured.

There was nothing in Tara's behavior for Wally to think that she was after his money, even though he did entertain the idea early on. He just did not have any evidence to support that she was what everyone wanted him to believe. She never wanted him to buy her things, even cheap things. If he gave her a gift, he knew that he was in for at least an hour's worth of an argument as to why she could not in all good conscious take the present. When he first started giving her things, she would go back and forth with him for days. If she was a gold digger, he did not think that she was a very good one since she did not seem to be trying to take advantage of being with a crown prince.

"Yeah, I guess it's all right for you to be where I am," Tara conceded with a content sigh as she looped her leg around his, which let him know that his petting was getting to her.

Wally smiled. "That's good to know," he commented. For once, his usual tone of voice did not get him on Tara's bad side.

The blonde really wanted to resist what she knew was going to happen, but she was already lost to that cause thanks to his warm form being next to hers. She was supposed to be working on making him a better person, not getting wrapped up in what a wonderful body he had and how well they fit together. Besides, it was not like he was her boyfriend, so she really needed to stop acting like he was, she silently insisted. He did not give her the chance to argue with herself long enough to decide that she should pull away from him.

Wally leaned in, kissing Tara's cheek. Her skin was so smooth and warm. He just loved touching her and he was going to hold onto her as best he could to make sure that he could keep on touching her.

Tara moved her head as he came in for another kiss and that one landed on her lips. She sighed contently when his mouth touched hers while her brain scolded her for what she was doing. He was not her boyfriend, so she was not supposed to be kissing him, her mind told her. She ignored her brain and just continued with the delicious embrace that they had started.

Wally adjusted their positions as the kiss started to heat up. Thankfully, they were alone in his family vacation house because he was planning to do something that no one else needed to see. He moved so that he was practically on top of her, keeping her leg hooked around his waist with his hand. He continued to caress her creamy thigh as they continued to kiss. She put her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

Tara's brain pled with her to push Wally away, trying to remind her that she did not "like" him in that manner. She was only with him because she wanted to help bring out the nice guy in him. She was not supposed to act like he was her boyfriend because he was not.

Her mind then tried to remind her of all of the bad things that Wally had to think of her, hoping that it would get her to push him away. Her brain told her that he thought that she was a gold digger and she was probably just reinforcing that idea whenever she did such things with him. She was just some hot blonde for him to have on his arm and look impressive with because of that. The worst insult, in her mind, was that he thought that she was too stupid to realize those things. Even though her mind pointed those things out, she did not feel the need to believe them right now. She was not going to push him away.

Tara merely countered her mind, remembering that he could be a very nice guy if given the chance. He was sweet to her much of the time, taking her places that she had never been. He tended to be nice to her, offering her all kinds of gifts, like the vacation that she as on right now. He was a nice guy, she mentally insisted and that helped quiet her mind down to keep her from pushing him away from her.

"You're a very special girl to me, you know that, Tara?" Wally asked as they pulled away for air.

Tara blushed a bit. "Well, you're special to me too," she found herself replying before she could stop herself. Well, at least it was not a lie, she thought. He was special to her, but not in the way that her words seemed to imply…or at least that was what she told herself.

Wally smiled because of that. It was nice to know that he meant something to her, especially since he planned on keeping her around. He was just going to have to think of some way to break it to his father that he was in a relationship with the young blonde woman. But, right now, that was the furthest thing from his mind.

Tara knew what was on Wally's mind if the nudge that she was feeling meant anything. The good girl in Tara was telling her not to take things any farther than the deep kissing and petting that was going on, at least not outside like they were. But, like everything else in her mind, Tara was not listening to her good girl side or to her mind rationalizing anything. She just wanted to be with Wally.

Wally could understand her sentiments. He did not care where they were or what people thought. He just wanted to be with Tara and he was going to have his way, like he was used. He came in for a new kiss, which she responded to with vigor.

He worked Tara out of her bikini top without breaking their kiss and also without having to remove the hand that he had on her leg. She did not protest to being freed from the cloth. He wasted no time caressing the uncovered skin, causing her to moan and arch into his touch. Her mind was still screaming at her to remember that he was not her boyfriend and that she did not like him in that manner, but damn it, she was not listening at all. He certainly felt like a boyfriend right now; he felt like _her_ boyfriend.

In fact, Wally felt more and more like her boyfriend as time pressed on. She completely forgot what she believed he thought of her. She also did not think about how she was supposed to be working toward making him more into a nice guy. The only thing that she could think of was that he felt like the nice guy she wanted him to be. He felt like he was her nice guy, especially since he was making sure that she was ready and willing before they went any further.

"You're an angel," Wally whispered to her as he pulled away from her mouth for some air.

Tara was too flushed to respond. She just smiled, loving his sweet words. He could be so good to her, she noted, when he wanted to be. More often now than when they first met, she could forget that he had a snobby air around him and that arrogance that made her feel sorry for him. Right now, all she could do was think that he was pretty much the man that she wanted him to be.

"I'm going to treat just like the angel you are," he promised. He meant his words and she believed them for now. Later on, when she was left thinking about things, she was undoubtedly going to be more skeptical. She would think that he was saying such things just to keep her around and to make sure that he had a pretty blonde to show off. But, that was later on, right now she just believed him.

Right now and later on for Wally, he was going to try to prove that she could believe him, that she could totally trust him. He was going to continue to make an effort and keep her with him. He was going to keep her as his girlfriend, whether people liked it or not. He was going to go as far as he could go with her, now and later on.

He came in for another kiss, putting all of his effort into that embrace. Tara accepted and returned the kiss with the same amount of passion. Underneath it all, there was a burning affection that they both felt. There was a connection there that let Wally know that his effort was getting results and Tara also knew that she was getting results. But, beyond their results, they were getting more than they bargained for on a few levels. They just did not know what it was. They felt it when their physical connection was complete, but they just did not know what it was. They could not explain it, except considering that they felt whole when they were together. They had time to figure it out, though.

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The end.


End file.
